star trek the abandoned

The Abandoned (episode)

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Quark finds an abandoned Jem'Hadar child, and Odo is the only person who can control him.

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Story and script
• 3.2 Production
• 3.3 Reception
• 3.5 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest Stars
• 4.4 Co-Stars
• 4.5 Uncredited Co-Stars
• 4.6 Stunt Double
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Other references
• 4.8.2 Deleted references
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

Mardah charms a dabo player

In Quark's , Okalar is making a killing at the dabo table. He's about to leave the table a winner when Mardah , the dabo girl , entices him to make one final – and losing – spin at the wheel.

Mardah leaves the dabo table and walks over to a nearby table in the bar where Jake is seated, and she explains that Jake's father has invited her to dinner on the following evening in the Sisko's quarters, which startles Jake. However, he quickly recovers and says, " It'll be great, " and that Mardah will enjoy the food.

" Quark, you and I have been doing business for years. Don't you trust me? "

Just then Quark is at the bar, when a Boslic captain walks up behind him and the two start negotiating the sale of salvage from the Gamma Quadrant . She wins the negotiations after putting her feminine charms to effective use, though Quark is initially not interested in purchasing junk.

Quark finds a surprise in the salvage he purchased

Next, Quark is in a cargo bay , rummaging through the salvage he'd bought for three bars of latinum . After a few moments he hears the cries of a baby, and walks toward the source of the noise only to discover a stasis chamber… which holds the crying baby. " No. No. No…, " he mutters to himself.

Act One [ ]

In the infirmary , Quark is with Dr. Bashir and Commander Sisko, and the infant is lying on a biobed . Sisko berates Quark for failing to inspect the salvage before purchasing it, and just then Dax walks into the infirmary to announce that the chances of finding the Boslic captain approach nil. In her flight plan , she had planned on heading for Risa but Dax does not think they should put too much faith in that. Dr. Bashir, meanwhile, tells Sisko that the infant is growing at rates Bashir has never seen outside of a laboratory , and that the infant ought to be kept on hand for more medical tests. Sisko then asks about the salvage, and Dax replies that O'Brien will be examining it. Quark offers a fruitless protest against the sequestering of his property, and promptly leaves the infirmary when Sisko shoots him a look.

Before Dax and Sisko leave the infirmary, Sisko picks up the infant to hold him, and Dax offers to find an orphanage on Bajor for the infant. Shortly thereafter, Sisko gives the infant up to Dr. Bashir and leaves the infirmary with Dax, who teases him about the change in his demeanor when he was holding the baby. Sisko then explains that he actually feels nostalgia for Jake's early childhood – notwithstanding the hassles of fatherhood – because he misses the days when it was easy to make Jake happy.

The infant is in Commander Sisko's arms

Sisko then returns to his quarters , where Jake is writing on a PADD while lying on the sofa. He asks Jake for a hug, but Jake turns away and expresses dismay at the fact that his father gave so little warning of the plans he'd made with Mardah. The commander excuses himself by pointing out that some time ago , he'd threatened to invite Mardah to dinner if Jake didn't – and Jake backs down, reminding them both that it will be "just dinner."

Sometime later Commander Sisko enters the infirmary, where Bashir announces that the child taken from the salvage is "not a baby… anymore."

Act Two [ ]

…But he's not an infant anymore

Sisko then looks through a nearby doorway, only to see a child on the table who appears to be eight or nine years old. Bashir then explains that his tests reveal the boy to be no more than two weeks old, in fact, which is mystifying since the only organisms ordinarily capable of growing as fast as this boy are small and simple, not "anything as complex as a humanoid ."

The boy chooses that moment to announce clearly that he is hungry, which Bashir says is no surprise. Sisko introduces himself and Bashir to the boy, tells him that they are on a space station , and asks the boy if he knows what that is. He replies, " No, but I want to learn. "

Sisko and Bashir then go into the next room, where Bashir explains that the only rational explanation for what they are seeing is some sort of advanced genetic engineering .

Next Sisko goes to the cargo bay containing the salvage, where O'Brien explains the stasis chamber – which implies that someone wanted to forestall the boy's maturation while aboard ship – and says that the wreckage was likely from some sort of transport .

O'Brien marvels at Jake's success with women

Major Kira brings a gift for Odo

Before Sisko leaves the cargo bay he asks O'Brien spare someone to give the replicators in his quarters some attention, and O'Brien mentions that he'd heard from Jake about Commander Sisko's dinner invitation to Mardah. Sisko expresses his reservations about the fact that his sixteen year old son is romantically involved with a twenty-year-old dabo girl, and confides to O'Brien that in the face of his discomfort he " wanted to see what [he was] up against. " O'Brien then asks, " What if it turns out you like her? " Sisko answers that he doesn't want to like her.

Odo finds a home for the gift

Next, Major Kira is at the entrance to Odo 's new quarters, with a plant in hand. She offers the plant to Odo, which he guesses is for the sake of decoration. He thanks her with his typical reserved tone, and shares his supposition that she would like to see his quarters. She says, " Everyone wants to see your quarters! It's called curiosity! " They go in, and Odo tells Kira that he's not finished setting things up, that he's just started turning the space into a place where he can "truly explore what it means to be a shapeshifter ." Kira points out that he doesn't need an entire set of quarters just to sit in his bucket , and he announces that he doesn't need the bucket anymore, but that he keeps it as a memento to remind himself of the life he led before getting his own quarters. He then goes on to explain that with the new space, he can more easily regenerate and explore his true nature in private, which leads Kira to catch herself and apologize for intruding on Odo's personal space. Odo brushes off her apology, and says that she's always welcome in his quarters.

Kira then looks around, and asks where they should put the plant she brought. Odo walks over to his bucket and puts the plant into that, which Kira says is "perfect."

Later Bashir and Dax are in the Replimat , where Bashir is explaining that the boy is missing a critical enzyme , notwithstanding the fact that he's genetically engineered… and Bashir can't understand why someone would be engineered to have " such an obvious flaw. "

Odo stops the youth on the Promenade

At that moment Bashir is asked to come to the infirmary immediately, and there is disruption on the Promenade. The boy, who is now an apparently teenage humanoid, is stalking around causing people to back away in apprehension. Bashir tries to pacify him by saying, " No one is going to hurt you, " but the boy punches him in the face. Dax taps her combadge in a call to security , and then Odo steps out of his office, ordering the boy to stop.

As the boy runs down the Promenade Odo blocks his path and changes to

…But the boy's not angry

an amorphous but upright form just as the boy collides with him. When Odo re-assumes his humanoid form the boy is on his knees, looking up at Odo in a state of obvious distress, but also with reverence.

At that point, Dax calls Sisko on her combadge and tells him, " I think we've solved the mystery of our young visitor, Benjamin. He's a Jem'Hadar . "

Act Three [ ]

" Talk to me, Odo. Tell me what's really going on here. "

In the wardroom , Odo, Kira, Dax, and Bashir are waiting when Commander Sisko comes into the room and announces that on orders from Starfleet , the Jem'Hadar is to be taken to Starbase 201 for research purposes. Kira agrees enthusiastically, but Odo is not pleased, knowing from personal experience that the Jem'Hadar will be nothing more than a "well-treated specimen" once Starfleet gets their hands on him. Bashir sides with Odo, arguing the boy is a sentient lifeform , not some random genetic sample to study. Kira points out that with all of the genetic engineering that's gone into him, the Jem'Hadar may be nothing more than a killing machine.

At that point Odo takes personal responsibility for the Jem'Hadar, insisting that as a Changeling he's the best person to find out if the Jem'Hadar's makeup will or will not allow him free will as a normal sentient lifeform would exercise it. At that point, Commander Sisko asks to speak with Odo privately.

Once they're alone, Sisko points out to Odo that there's no real obligation on Odo's part to make up for the things that the Founders did to this Jem'Hadar, but Odo stands fast, pointing out again that he knows what it means to be a research subject against his will, and that he doesn't want to inflict that on the Jem'Hadar. Commander Sisko concedes and promises to temporize with Starfleet, but reminds Odo to be careful.

Unsurprisingly, Jem'Hadar don't like holding cells

In security, the Jem'Hadar is flinging himself against the force field of a holding cell while Bashir is attempting to explain to the Jem'Hadar his need for the enzyme that Bashir explained to Dax in the Replimat. Just as Odo walks in, the Jem'Hadar demands to be left alone, then takes a step back when he sees Odo, who orders the force field lowered and says, " Everything is under control now. "

Odo tries to get a smile

Odo orders the Jem'Hadar to sit down and asks about his condition. The Jem'Hadar admits to being nauseous and in pain, while Bashir explains the missing enzyme . Bashir goes on to say that he'd like to perform more tests, with the goal of replicating the enzyme. The Jem'Hadar first refuses but is persuaded by Odo to change his mind.

Bashir then leaves, and Odo asks the Jem'Hadar what he wants to do, which is to fight as it turns out – not with Odo, but instead with the others on the station… and it appears that anyone will do. The Jem'Hadar asks if what he wants is wrong, and Odo tells him that they " need to find other interests for [the Jem'Hadar] to pursue. " Odo asks the Jem'Hadar to relax, to smile, and demonstrates to the confused Jem'Hadar what a smile is. The Jem'Hadar attempts to mimic Odo, but what comes across his face is more of a grimace, and Odo says, " We'll work on that. "

" See, I told you so!!! "

Meanwhile, in Commander Sisko's quarters the dinner appointment with Mardah is just beginning. Jake insists that while the food may be spicy, she'll enjoy it, and as Commander Sisko brings the last of the serving dishes to the table and seats himself, he asks Mardah to tell him about herself. She explains that her parents were killed during the Occupation , that she was brought up by neighbors until she was thirteen, and that she went out on her own thereafter. She goes on to say that she has a brother and sister named Sarjeno and Koran , but that she hasn't " spoken to them in years, " apparently because they took issue with her decision to work as a dabo girl. She closes by pointing out that it is amazing how some people will judge others based on profession as opposed to character, and just then Jake throws a "see-I-told-you-so" glance at his father.

They go on to discuss writing – Jake's in particular – and Mardah says that his poetry won her over. She also announces that Jake's quite the dom-jot hustler, which takes his father by surprise. Jake then excuses himself from the room, and after Mardah points out that Jake is more than meets the eye, she and Commander Sisko agree that they have in common the fact that they both care a great deal about Jake… and the smile on Commander Sisko's face suggests that he might just be warming up to Mardah after all.

O'Brien shares a discovery with Odo

Later Odo and O'Brien are in the cargo hold containing the salvage in which the Jem'Hadar was found, and O'Brien shows Odo an artifact which he says defies analysis. Odo suggests that the artifact is likely a repository for vials of the Jem'Hadar's "missing enzyme," and goes on to say that this genetically engineered "addiction" is probably another mechanism for ensuring the loyalty of the Jem'Hadar to the Founders. O'Brien tells Odo that he finds this cold-blooded, and Odo reminds the chief that his people do not have blood. O'Brien looks at Odo with awkward silence while he continues to examine the artifact.

Odo takes the vials to the infirmary, and Bashir starts an apparatus to deliver some of their contents into the Jem'Hadar's carotid artery . After a few moments the Jem'Hadar announces that the result of this treatment is positive, and Odo starts to leave, only to be asked by the Jem'Hadar if he can come along.

Act Four [ ]

The two of them go to Odo's quarters, where Odo explains how he mimics the objects in the room as a way of honing his shapeshifting abilities. He says that taking humanoid form is especially difficult, and the Jem'Hadar asks why he bothers, since Changelings are better than humanoids – including himself. Odo rejects that assertion, saying instead that Changelings are not better than humanoids, just different, and that the Jem'Hadar's instincts lead him wrongly.

The youth sees his people for the first time, if only on video

In confusion the Jem'Hadar announces that Odo must be right, and Odo's response is that the Jem'Hadar must learn to think for himself, to make decisions based on his own needs and desires – rather than those of the Changelings – and then asks what the boy wants.

It turns out that the Jem'Hadar wants to find his people, and Odo says that he understands that very well, adding that what he found was "not very pleasant." Odo then shows the Jem'Hadar footage from the boarding of the USS Defiant ; during its previous journey through the Gamma Quadrant . The Jem'Hadar fixes on the playback, saying that the men attacking the Defiant 's bridge crew are his people. Odo confirms this, adding, "They're a race of brutal warriors."

Odo then tells the Jem'Hadar that he doesn't need to be brutal , since there are other ways to work out his aggression. The two of them then go to a holosuite , where Odo has created an adversary for the Jem'Hadar to fight – with the understanding that outside of the holosuite, the Jem'Hadar must restrain himself from aggression.

…Fighting in the holosuite

Odo starts the holosuite program . After a few moments the Jem'Hadar "kills" his adversary and asks Odo to increase the skill of his opponent. Odo does so, and the program restarts. While the fighting continues, Kira walks into the holosuite and asks to speak with Odo. The two of them leave but the holosuite is left in frame, where the Jem'Hadar increases the difficulty level of the program from three to five.

On the mezzanine of Quark's, Kira is beside herself at the news that Odo has allowed the Jem'Hadar to move in with him. Odo says that it is alright, that the Jem'Hadar trusts him. Kira is unconvinced. "But can you trust him?" she asks, wondering if the Jem'Hadar can be controlled indefinitely. Odo says that he's not trying to control anyone, but instead is trying to give the Jem'Hadar a third option apart from being sequestered in a laboratory or fighting alongside the other Jem'Hadar.

Kira is still skeptical, pointing out that the Jem'Hadar is a custom-designed killing machine. Odo offers a rebuttal by pointing out that in certain ways both he and Kira are acting contrary to their own "typical" inclinations. Kira ultimately relents, but like Commander Sisko in the wardroom, she intently asks Odo to be careful. Odo then goes back to the holosuite, orders the program discontinued, and takes the Jem'Hadar out onto the Promenade.

Once out on the Promenade the Jem'Hadar remarks that all of the onlookers are afraid of him, and Odo adds that they are curious and afraid. The Jem'Hadar suggests that they should be afraid, because he can kill any of them, and Odo asks if he's capable of thinking of anything else. "I don't think so," the Jem'Hadar replies.

…Appearing unexpectedly in Sisko's office

Odo goes on to say that there plenty of other things to experience, but the Jem'Hadar is unimpressed… and just as he's about to explain his attitude, Commander Sisko orders Odo to come to his office. Odo orders the Jem'Hadar back to his quarters.

Once Odo is in Sisko's office, Sisko explains that Starfleet is coming for "the boy" in a matter of hours whether Odo likes it or not, and in spite of any agreements that had been made. At that moment the Jem'Hadar steps out of camouflage and points a phaser at Sisko, insisting that he will not be sent anywhere at the demands of Starfleet.

Act Five [ ]

Odo concedes that Kira was right about the boy

The Jem'Hadar demands a runabout , insisting that Odo come along since the inhabitants of Deep Space 9 are not his people, either. Odo agrees, and promises that nobody will interfere with them. The Jem'Hadar promises that he will kill anyone who does attempt to interfere.

When they reach the docking ring of the station Odo and the Jem'Hadar debate the latter's course of action, but the Jem'Hadar cannot be restrained from his objective – he is a Jem'Hadar, he wants to be with his people, and there is nothing to debate. The Jem'Hadar goes on to assert that Odo's time with "other humanoids" has "done something" to him, and finally says, "I don't know what the other Changelings are like, but I know they're not like you."

When Odo and the Jem'Hadar arrive at the airlock they find Commander Sisko waiting for them with a security team, but Odo asks Sisko to back down, saying that the Jem'Hadar will be lethal trouble aboard ship, and that he will not keep Odo from coming back to the station. Sisko lets them go, and promises to hold off the fire of Starfleet, noting that Admiral Nechayev will not like this.

On the Promenade, O'Brien asks Sisko why he isn't ordering Jake to end his relationship with Mardah. Sisko tells him that dinner with the two of them granted him new insights about his son, before warning the chief not to get into any games of dom-jot with Jake.

Later, Kira is sitting at a table working on some PADDs in the Replimat, when Odo walks up to her. " About the boy, " he says to her, " You were right. "

Log entries [ ]

• Station log, Deep Space 9, 2371

Memorable quotes [ ]

" You are evil. " " Who, me? " " He was going to walk away a winner! " " First rule of dabo is, watch the wheel, not the girl . "

" You bought a child? " " I just thought that I was buying some wreckage. How was I supposed to know that there was a baby in there? " " Maybe you should inspect the merchandise before you make the deal. Or isn't there a Rule of Acquisition for that? " " There is, and I do. Usually. "

" Now, wait a minute! I paid good money for that wreckage and… now it's yours. Enjoy. "

" I was talking about an orphanage? " " … Oh, right. Have Major Kira make the appropriate arrangements. You'll keep me informed about him? " " Yes, sir. "

" You are positively glowing! I haven't seen that look on your face since… " " … Since Jake stopped wearing diapers. "

" Sixteen years old, and dating a dabo girl. Godspeed, Jake. "

" What sort of 'specialists' are we talking about, commander? " " There will be a team of xenobiologists and exopsychologists waiting for him. " " So… they're going to study him. Like a laboratory specimen. " " Well, he'll be very well treated. " " So, he'll be a well-treated specimen. "

" Poetry? You – you write poetry? " " Well, sort of. "

" Jake seemed like just another teenage boy, at first… but there's more to him than that. " " I'm beginning to realize that, myself. " " I care about him very much. " " … And so do I. Now, tell me more about my poet-hustler son. "

" I still don't understand why they would engineer someone to be addicted to a certain chemical. " " I suspect it's another way of ensuring the loyalty of the Jem'Hadar to the Founders. If your soldiers are addicted to a drug that can't be replicated and only you can provide, that gives you a great deal of control over them. " " Seems a pretty cold-blooded thing to do. " " My people don't have blood, chief. "

" He trusts me! " " But can you trust him? How long do you think you're going to be able to control him? " " I'm not trying to control any-… anybody. I'm just trying to give him some choices other than becoming a laboratory specimen or a Jem'Hadar soldier. " " I never thought I would say this to you, Odo, but you are listening to your heart, not your head. That boy was created in a laboratory! His body, his mind, his instincts, are all designed to do one thing… to kill. " " My body, mind, and instincts were designed to be a Founder. You were trained to be a terrorist. But each of us chose to be something different. I just want to give him the same chance we've had! " " All right. Give him a chance. Just don't forget: he is a Jem'Hadar. He's dangerous! " " I'm well aware of the risk, Major. " " I hope so. "

" If he boards the Constellation when it arrives, he'll either kill a lot of innocent people, or be killed himself. " " What makes you think he'll let you come back? " " I don't believe he could injure a Changeling. " " When the Constellation arrives, I'll tell them that I couldn't stop you from leaving. That I would've had to kill the boy to keep him here. Admiral Nechayev won't like that answer, but it has the virtue of being the truth. "

" He was afraid of me. I could see the fear in his eyes. " " Commander Sisko was trying to do what's best for you. He was trying to help you. " " He's not my friend, he's my enemy! And I now know that anyone who is not a Jem'Hadar is my enemy. " " Does that include me? "

" I thought you were going to lower the boom on those two. " " Well, I was, but some things came up at dinner I didn't expect. " " Got to know her a little better, and decided you liked her after all? " " No, actually I got to know Jake a little better. Have you ever played dom-jot with him? " " Nope. " " Don't. "

Background information [ ]

Story and script [ ].

• Ira Steven Behr commented " We wanted to keep the Jem'Hadar alive in the series but not do another battle show. The trouble with coming up with a villain is they lose their ability to strike fear in your heart if you're able to kick their ass too quickly. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p 85 )
• The final draft script was submitted on 30 August 1994 . [1] (X)

Production [ ]

• Glenn Neufeld and VisionArt Design & Animation oversaw the special effects for scene where Odo shapeshifts as the Jem'Hadar leaps through. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 182))
• The weapon used by the Jem'Hadar was designed by Dan Curry , who based it on a fighting cleaver . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 85))

Reception [ ]

• Director Avery Brooks saw this episode as something of a metaphorical study of racial tension and gang culture. According to Brooks " for me, it was very much a story about young brown men, and, to some extent, a story about a society that is responsible for the creation of a generation of young men who are feared, who are addicted, who are potential killers ." ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 180))
• Rene Echevarria commented " A good show for Odo. I think people may have started seeing shades of " I Borg ", but the twist on it was that you just can't turn this Jem'Hadar. People felt Hugh had turned, and it was more of a tragedy that he must go back and sacrifice himself for us. This is a different type of tragedy, where we see that there is no turning this type of creature ". ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p 85 )
• Ronald D. Moore commented " It's a good episode and an important one to tell things about the Jem'Hadar that were different than we had dealt with before. I thought it was a good opportunity to show Odo's feelings for his people, but the scenes should have been deeper. Act five is particularly rushed and it doesn't pay off as satisfyingly as it could have ". ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p 85 )
• In her book Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before (paperback ed., p. 202), J.M. Dillard cited this installment as a "fine" example of "an important Star Trek theme."
• Bumper Robinson will later voice the Jem'Hadar in Star Trek: Online .
• This episode marks the first time that the nature of Ketracel-white is detailed, even though it is only referred to as the "missing enzyme" that the Jem'Hadar are "addicted" to.
• Odo's placing the plant from Kira in his bucket , which he used to reside in while in his gelatinous state , is symbolic of his feelings for her; she has always had a special place in his heart. The symbolic importance of the bucket housing the plant is revisited in the season 4 episode " Crossfire ", when, after learning that Kira doesn't love him, and is instead in love with Shakaar , Odo picks up the bucket and smashes it against the wall. Footage from the scene in which Odo uses his bucket for the flowers is incorporated into the montage at the end of " What You Leave Behind ".
• The weapon used by the adolescent Jem'Hadar in the holosuite scene is similar in design to the Ushaan-tor used in the ENT season 4 episode " United ".
• Odo replays part of the battle scene from " The Search, Part I ", which establishes that it took place on stardate 48214.5 , with the on board battle occurring on time index 310.
• In this episode, Sisko fulfills his promise to Jake , made in the season 2 episode " Playing God ", to allow him to bring Mardah home for dinner.
• Leslie Bevis makes her second appearance as Rionoj , the Boslic freighter captain, in this episode. She previously appeared in the season 2 episode " The Homecoming " and would later appear in the season 4 finale " Broken Link ", where her character would be named.
• This is the first episode to refer to Jake's literary talents, foreshadowing his later decision to become a writer/journalist.
• The events of VOY pilot episode " Caretaker " take place between this episode and the next one, judging from the stardates.
• Tom Morga 's costume was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [2]
• The scene where Odo attempts to get the Jem'Hadar to smile is reminiscent of a similar scene from Terminator 2, in which John Connor tries to get the T-800 to smile, also with limited success.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 3.3, 13 March 1995
• As part of the DS9 Season 3 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Avery Brooks as Commander Sisko

Also starring [ ]

• Rene Auberjonois as Odo
• Siddig El Fadil as Doctor Bashir
• Terry Farrell as Lieutenant Dax
• Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
• Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien
• Armin Shimerman as Quark
• Nana Visitor as Major Kira

Guest Stars [ ]

• Bumper Robinson as Teenager
• Jill Sayre as Mardah
• Leslie Bevis as Rionoj

Co-Stars [ ]

• Matthew Kimbrough as Alien High Roller
• Hassan Nicholas as Jem'Hadar Boy

Uncredited Co-Stars [ ]

• Sue Henley as civilian
• Randy James as Jones
• David B. Levinson as Broik
• Mary Mascari as Bajoran woman
• Tom Morga as holographic Tygarian
• Michael Prokopuk as civilian
• Bajoran deputy
• Corvallen visitor

Stunt Double [ ]

• Henry Kingi, Jr. as stunt double for Siddig El Fadil

Stand-ins [ ]

• June Jordan – stand-in for Hassan Nicholas

References [ ]

2351 ; 2355 ; 2364 ; addiction ; Bajor ; Bajorans ; biomolecular diffusion gradient ; blood ; Boslics ; carotid artery ; cc ; cellular kinetics profile ; Changeling ; chemical compound ; chemical formula ; chest pain ; cognitive ability ; cold-blooded ; constable ; Constellation , USS ; cooking ; court martial ; creature ; Creole food ; DNA ; dabo ; dabo girl ; Defiant , USS ; dessert ; diaper ; dinner ; dom-jot ; exopsychologist ; Founders ; freighter ; Gamma Quadrant ; gelatinous state ; genetic engineering ; genetic structure ; head ; heart ; heart rate ; high roller ; holosuite ; hug ; humanoid ; hustler ; intelligence ; isogenic enzyme ; Jem'Hadar ; karjinko ; Koran ; laboratory ; laboratory specimen ; language skills ; latinum ; Mandalay sauce ; Mardah's parents and guardians ; maturation ; mental ability ; Milky Way Galaxy ; milligrams per minute ; mitosis ; muscle spasm ; natural ability ; Nechayev, Alynna ; neurotransmitter ; nucleotide analysis ; O'Brien, Keiko ; Occupation of Bajor ; Odo 1 ; old man ; orphanage ; Promenade ; Quark's ; replicator ; Replimat ; Risa ; Rules of Acquisition ; runabout ( to Gamma Quadrant ); Sarjeno ; security log ; sentient lifeform ; shrimp creole ; Sisko, Joseph ; species ; spicy ; Starbase 201 ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; stasis chamber ; thyroid ; time index ; transport vessel ; triglyceride ; xenobiology

Other references [ ]

• Deep Space 9 schematic : cargo turbo subsystem ; crew quarters ; crossover bridge ; defense sail ; defense systems monitor ; deflector emitter ; docking clamp ; docking control cabin ; docking pylon ; docking ring ; docking ring airlock ; environmental purge/fill station ; exhaust cone ; fusion reactor assembly ; habitat ring ; ops module ; ore processing center ; phaser strip ; photon torpedo launcher ; power transfer conduit ; promenade ; radiator ; reaction control thruster ; reactive shield wall ; runabout pad ; sensor array ; structural assembly ; subspace antenna farm ; tractor emitter ; tug tractor emitter assembly

Deleted references [ ]

External links [ ].

• " The Abandoned " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " The Abandoned " at Wikipedia
• "The Abandoned" at StarTrek.com
• " "The Abandoned" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "The Abandoned" script  at Star Trek Minutiae

An archive of Star Trek News

Retro Review: The Abandoned

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

When a genetically engineered young boy is brought aboard the station, Odo tries to help him overcome his biological instinct to kill.

Plot Summary: While Jake watches his girlfriend Mardah work the Dabo tables, Quark is persuaded to purchase the wreckage of a ship from the Gamma Quadrant. When Quark goes to inspect his new treasure, he discovers an infant hidden in the equipment. Bashir is unable to identify the baby’s species but tells a cooing Sisko that it has incredibly fast metabolism – so fast that Bashir suspects it might be genetically engineered. Within a few hours, the baby looks and speaks like an eight-year-old. It soon becomes apparent that the child is a Jam’Hadar. Sisko promises to help the boy but is distracted getting to know his own son’s girlfriend, whom he discovers is intelligent and encouraging of Jake. Starfleet Command demands that the Jem’Hadar be turned over to them for study, but Odo protests, feeling a double responsibility since his people created the Jem’Hadar and since he himself was raised as a lab specimen – a situation from which he is still recovering, as his exploration of his newly assigned quarters reveals. The boy behaves in a worshipful manner toward Odo since he is a Founder, and Odo is at first able to help the boy control his violent impulses by working out his aggressions in a holosuite. In the ship’s wreckage, Bashir discovers a supply of a genetically engineered enzyme, apparently created to instill loyalty and dependency on the Founders, and at first it seems that the boy is willing to explore his background and options with Odo. But the impulse toward violence proves too strong, and when Sisko tells Odo that Starfleet is demanding custody of the boy, the young Jem’Hadar appears and threatens violence. Odo asks Sisko for a runabout, saying that he would rather go to the Gamma Quadrant with the boy than risk deaths on the station, but the boy does not want an ongoing association with Odo, whom he finds to be weak and compromised by his life among humans. Instead Odo takes the boy into the Gamma Quadrant to find his own people, then returns to the station, where he admits to Kira that the boy’s genetic programming as a killer was too strong for him to break.

Analysis: “The Abandoned” is another episode that I didn’t much like when it first aired – I just reread the review I wrote then – which in hindsight seems excellent in so many ways, as if the writers had a grand scheme for Deep Space Nine and all its characters all along (in fact, what’s clear is that they did an exceptional job of keeping track of small details tossed out in the early seasons to make them more and more relevant in later seasons). It struck me as derivative of The Next Generation ‘s “I, Borg” – with some B-plot parental bonding a bit too reminiscent of Beverly’s “motherly advice” scenes with Wesley, while the Jem’Hadar holosuite battles looked awfully like Worf’s Klingon training adjustment programs. I suppose none of that has changed, but these moments all seem crucial for the characters and the larger storylines now, particularly for Odo upon whom most of the events of “The Abandoned” pivot. Even the title is reminiscent of “The Alternate” and “The Forsaken,” the two most obvious prequels apart from the series-changing trilogy from the end of the second season and the start of the third. Over and over, we will see Odo challenged about what it means to be a shapeshifter among humanoids, now bearing the weight of knowing exactly what sort of people created him and sent him out alone. He wants to find a kindred soul, and looks in many places – this Jem’Hadar child, a fellow changeling exile, and Kira, for whom his love is becoming ever more obvious – yet all his efforts keep leading him back to the inevitable realization that, like it or not, he is a Founder, and he can never feel complete until he accepts all the responsibility and loyalty of that bond. What seemed contrived when I first watched “The Abandoned” (whose title I assumed referred to the young Jem’Hadar) now seems heartbreaking, a look at Odo’s profound isolation on a station full of families and games and shared pleasures.

Kira’s reactions to Odo’s choices are fascinating, too. I hesitate to try to analyze her behavior in regard to Odo at a stage where I don’t think the series writers had any plans to explore their relationship in a romantic sense, but it looks in hindsight like she’s carefully defining boundaries, wanting to share Odo’s private life while at the same time protecting herself from differences that are much more than skin-deep. Where I was once angry that she seemed once again like the insensitive loudmouth from “Playing God,” insisting that they should get the young Jem’Hadar off the station as soon as possible, she now seems to me to be protecting her own – Odo in particular, but also Bashir and Sisko and everyone else in danger of becoming attached to this being that they may never be able to help or even to defend themselves against. Deep down, she rarely accepts that people can change: she always expects Dukat to behave like a megalomaniac, she waits for Winn to uncover her scheming, and now that she knows who Odo’s people are, she is likely already fearing that the Founder in him will prove stronger than the man he’s become (which, under Dominion occupation, it does seem to do). Odo counters that she was trained as a terrorist yet isn’t one any more, but it’s not quite the same thing: she fought in service of a goal, and once that goal was achieved, she put aside the violence with which she was never comfortable and accepted a role in diplomacy and compromise more easily than even she likes to acknowledge. She’s become the sort of person who goes to Starfleet dinner parties and brings flowers as a housewarming present despite an uncomfortable sense that it’s sort of silly, yet she understands that the gesture matters more than the nature of the gift. When she realizes the possibility that Odo may put responsibility to the Jem’Hadar boy ahead of his obligations on the station, she isn’t just frightened for his safety from a trained killing machine; she’s afraid of losing Odo in a more complicated sense.

There are some plot holes never filled in sequels, like whether the infant Jem’Hadar was planted to see what Starfleet would do with him and how the Dominion used what information he brought back from the Alpha Quadrant. The ending seems like a setup for a sequel that never arrives, at least not directly, for though we get to know other Jem’Hadar, this isn’t a Hugh situation where one individual’s brief contact with humans will have an impact on an alien culture. At first Sisko loves the idea of having a paternal relationship with this new arrival on the station – director Avery Brooks said that he saw the story about young men of color and how they are feared by the societies that create them – but he quickly realizes that the relationship he needs to work on is with his own son, whom he fears at first is dating a sexy older woman for the obvious reasons, only to discover that Mardah is a bright, sensitive young woman who’s had a difficult life and tried to make the best of her limited options – plus she knows Jake better than his father does, and Sisko realizes that had that not been the case, he might have given Jake more credit for his choices. There are some nice moments between Sisko and O’Brien, the only other regular who currently has children of his own, discussing parenting, though not for the first time I wish he’d also included Dax, who’s been a parent several times over. The speed with which she’s ready to hand the mystery baby over to a Bajoran orphanage – particularly since we’ve seen Bajoran orphanages, which are overburdened and bureaucratic in the wake of the Occupation, hardly a dream home for any abandoned child – is unnerving and probably ruins any chance of Odo, too, appealing to her for advice as he takes on a parental role. Then again, Dax has probably never had the experience of being worshiped as a god.

Odo has grown so much this season, moving out of his bucket to explore what it really means to be a shapeshifter, inviting Kira to share his private thoughts and fears even when he has to acknowledge that she’s right about things he’s not ready to face, like the fact that his people may have done something unforgivable not only in abandoning him but in creating the Jem’Hadar. It’s obvious during the holosuite battles that Odo is never going to succeed in turning the boy away from his violent impulses, yet we’re still rooting for him so much so that Kira’s warnings sound unduly harsh. We get our first glimpse here of the reverence in which the Jem’Hadar hold the Founders, but Odo isn’t really a Founder and this boy isn’t really a full Jem’Hadar. Can a god order a creation to have free will? The answer, it seems in this case, is no, though in a way the boy is indeed exercising free will when he refuses to allow Starfleet to take him to a starbase. How much more dangerous things could have become if Odo had decided to test his genetically programmed role and ordered the boy to obey. It might have pleased Sisko in the short term, but Sisko never suggests that Odo try, for Sisko knows better than to try to make Odo into something he ‘s not. I do wonder, though, whether Sisko ever received secret orders from Starfleet to observe Odo the same way Starfleet wants to test the Jem’Hadar…not to try to dismiss him, as Odo feared a few months earlier, but to study him as representative of the Founders so that Starfleet could calculate his weaknesses. I’d like to believe that Sisko would refuse such an order, but Section 31’s final solution for the changelings demonstrates that for some, Odo never quite stops being a laboratory specimen.

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5 thoughts on “ retro review: the abandoned ”.

The Abandoned is a great – but not completely typical – DS9 episode. It’s like Starship Down in season four – an episode needed for arc purposes (explain the threat of the Jem’Hadar & develop Odo’s ambiguous relationship with his people) with a straightforward – even derivative – plot which works because of the details that the writers drop in along the way. O’Brien’s aside to the camera – Godspeed, Jake – rings true with its knowing wisdom (& makes you regret once again that there wasn’t room to develop the Sisko/O’Brien relationship more in the show) while the Odo/Kira storyline is cautiously advanced towards the big Fascination revelation. There’s even the glorious unspoken joke that Jake’s relationship with Mardah shows how much he misses his mother….

I love it; & accept the fact that most non-Niners won’t

I’m really fascinated to read the quite positive reassessments of this episode both her and on avclub.com’s reviews (which are nearly synchronized at present). I shall have to revisit it. I remember thinking that the episode’s morality was sketchy, delivering the message that the Jem’hadar, while somewhat sympathetic because of their compulsive loyalty to the Founders, are also beyond redemption — meaning we can blow them up as much as we like a feel good about it.

That message is mostly there. It gets altered slightly as the series progresses, but largely escapes intact.

I watch this episode in the rotation, but it scores pretty low here. I like the performance from the Jem’hadar character, and the B plot was good character building. I think Meg’s review here is reading a lot more into minor things then is there and she’s putting more thought into the episode than the writers did.

Mardah had plenty to interest a teenage boy without being a maternal figure

Maternalism wasn’t the image i had in mind….

(Neither did Jake, i’m sure)

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The Abandoned

The Abandoned is an episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It first aired on February 5, 1994.

The episode begins with a distress call from a damaged Cardassian ship. The Deep Space Nine crew responds, and upon arrival they find a Jem’Hadar vessel attached to the Cardassian ship. The Jem’Hadar are a genetically engineered race, created by the Dominion to serve as their soldiers. On board the Cardassian ship, they find two young Jem’Hadar soldiers, one of whom is injured.

The crew of Deep Space Nine brings the two soldiers back to the station for medical attention. They name the uninjured soldier “Amon” and the injured soldier “Tolan”. With the help of Dr. Bashir, they are able to stabilize Tolan’s condition.

Meanwhile, Sisko sends a team to investigate the Cardassian ship and discover its purpose. They find a hidden laboratory, where experiments are being conducted on the Jem’Hadar soldiers.

Tolan and Amon begin to form a bond as they recover under Dr. Bashir’s care. They reveal that they were created by the Dominion in the laboratory, and were abandoned when the Cardassian ship was damaged.

Sisko, Kira, and Dax come up with a plan to rescue the other Jem’Hadar children and take them away from the laboratory. They enlist the help of the Defiant, and use its cloaking device to sneak into the laboratory and steal the Jem’Hadar children before they can be used in any further experiments.

Once the children are safe, Sisko and his crew are forced to fight their way out of the laboratory. With the help of Tolan and Amon, they are able to escape and return the children to Deep Space Nine.

Tolan and Amon are welcomed to Deep Space Nine with open arms. With the help of Odo, they are able to find a way to keep the Jem’Hadar children safe and make sure that they are no longer used as experiments.

The Abandoned is an episode of Deep Space Nine that deals with community and the consequences of abandonment. It shows how even in the darkest of situations, there is hope and strength that can be found. Through the bond between Tolan and Amon, we are reminded that no one is ever truly alone.

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The Abandoned

When a Jem'Hadar infant is found in salvaged spaceship wreckage from the Gamma Quadrant, Odo strives to teach the rapidly maturing soldier to think for himself.

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine : “Second Skin”/“The Abandoned”

“Second Skin” (season 3, episode 5; originally aired 10/24/1994)

In which Kira doesn’t recognize herself anymore…

Try to imagine what it would be like to live a reality where plastic surgery wasn’t just convincing—it was perfect. Where you could go to a doctor, and in a few days (that’s how long Kira’s transition takes in “Second Skin,” so far as we know) come out with a new face, or a new body, or, hell, a new race. Forget, for the moment, the implausibility of it all—how can you generate actual living tissue? How are there no scars, no aches, how is the transition so goddamn perfect—and just focus on the implications. To no longer be restricted by the body you were born into could change everything, especially when you remember that the Federation doesn’t use money, so the process wouldn’t be cost prohibitive. It makes you wonder how many characters we’ve seen on the show have had work done. And it also raises some interesting questions about the nature of identity. I wonder if, in the universe of Star Trek , authenticity is even more important, and even harder to determine, than it is today. We’ve already had at least one person remake himself to look enough like someone else to fool nearly everyone (back in “Duet” —sure, all the DS9 crew had to go on for comparison was a photo, but it was still impressive). Between Odo’s shape-shifting and the apparent wonders of facial reconstruction, I’m amazed anyone trusts anyone as anyone.

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“Second Skin” takes good advantage of this idea from both sides: on the one, you’ve got Kira, transported to Cardassia and made over to look like a Cardassian spy, through a transformation so thorough and carefully constructed that she gradually starts to doubt her own identity; and on the other, you’ve got Legate Tekeny Ghemor (Lawrence Pressman), the father of Kira’s supposed spy identity, who believes that his daughter has finally come home after years of undercover work. Sure, “Iliana” claims she doesn’t remember him or their house, and acts convinced that she really is Bajoran, but those are just implanted memories still lingering in her system. Tekeny is convinced that some tender loving care is all Kira needs to understand the truth, and that makes Kira’s struggle to remember who she really is even more difficult. Entek, the Obsidian Order agent in charge of Kira’s supposed re-integration, is pleasant enough, but he’s also forceful, and there’s a threat of violence behind every chummy smile, a threat which only grows more and more obvious as the episode wears on. But Tekeny is respectful, patient, and kind, and despite his position of political power, seems to have no real artifice about him. It would be difficult, in the face of such relentless decency, to keep saying no.

Kira just barely makes it through, although that has as much to do with the fact that her sanity isn’t the main target, as it does her resistance and determination. There’s no question that her sudden transformation is a ruse, and to its credit, the episode never really tries to pretend otherwise; Entek (the great character actor Gregory Sierra) keeps up the game for a while, even going so far as to show Kira the frozen body of the supposed real Kira, but while he pays lip service to the importance of “Iliana” realizing her true identity, the scenario never takes on the heated intensity of some of the other mind-fucks we’ve seen on Trek series. Episodes like Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s “Future Imperfect” or even this season’s première (which is one of the rare cases of character’s being trapped in an alternate reality which they never question—more proof of the Dominion’s power) work harder to convince the people trapped in their webs and the audience, whereas “Second Skin” continually cuts away to Sisko’s determined attempts to rescue his officer. The mystery in a story like this is always “Why is this happening,” but instead of trying to disorient us, Entek’s plot plays in a largely straightforward fashion. Fun as it is when a show tries to make us question our basic assumptions, the fact that this episode doesn’t is largely a relief, especially after the events of “The Search, Part 2.”

The thing is, DS9 isn’t rewriting the Trek playbook (at least, not yet); the show has made changes to basic assumptions (in suggesting that negotiations can be impossible; there’s a danger inherent in exploration; good people don’t always see eye to eye), but we’re still using the same kind of plots the franchise has always used. Both episodes we’re looking at this week rely on a lot of magic-resembling technology to get their work done, and both work off of central concepts TNG covered before. The difference is in presentation, and in the way the series uses its characters’ histories to make familiar ideas richer and more complex.

When Entek starts pushing Kira for answers, Tekeny decides enough is enough. He’s worried how far Entek (and, by extension, the Obsidian Order) will go for the truth, and he doesn’t want to see a woman he believes he loves injured, so he makes plans to get Kira taken off-world. The twist is that Tekeny’s sincerity and kindness are the real deal. He really does have a daughter named Iliana, he really does think Kira is that daughter, and he really doesn’t want her tortured. Tekeny is one of the dissidents working to undermine the Cardassians’ totalitarian regime, and Entek put together this entire con in order to get dirt on the legate to use to attack the entire dissident movement. It’s a clever plot, if a little ornate, and while it ends up making the last quarter of the episode top-heavy (Kira learns Tekeny’s secret, then realizes how they’re both being played, then Entek shows up and gets the drop on them, then they’re rescued at the last minute by Garak and the others, then Kira and Tekeny have to share a moment together), it’s a fun way to catch viewers off-guard by playing with our expectations. It’s only natural to think Kira is the target of Entek’s efforts, and to find out she isn’t—she’s merely convenient—helps make the plot seem fresh. It also leads to a surprisingly touching final conversation between Tekeny and Kira on DS9; the scene pushes the sentiment hard, and it’s not entirely earned by the episode, but the actors make it work well enough.

It helps that Tekeny makes sure to warn Kira about Garak before he goes, which ends the hour on a subtle, but resonant, note of paranoia. As much as “Second Skin” focuses on Kira and her travails, the episode also works as a stealth Garak spotlight, taking the ex-spy (or is he?) out of his comfort zone when Sisko forces him to join them on a rescue mission. Garak started off as a charming figure of mystery, but as his character development continues, the writers have taken him in a direction I didn’t see coming. Garak isn’t some kind of secret hero. He’s complicated, in ways that resist easy answers, and his behavior in this episode demonstrates just how unwilling he is to be cast into the role of a “good guy.” The tailor with a history is still likeable, but it’s a likeability that doesn’t always translate to other characters on the show. (Sisko has no compunctions in blackmailing Garak into doing what he wants, for one.) We don’t know why Garak does what he does, but Andrew Robinson has managed to make that ambiguity utterly consistent, to the point where I don’t always know what to expect from the character, but I believe him capable of nearly anything. Yet he’s far from an outright villain, either, and the way this episode uses the tension between Garak’s sense of self-preservation, and his desire to do, if not the right thing, than at least the thing which will make him look like he’s doing the right thing, is excellent. There’s a desperation and terror behind his charm that we last saw evident in “The Wire,” and I’m happy to see it hasn’t been forgotten.

Stray observations:

• It doesn’t take too much away from the episode, but Kira’s resemblance to the real Iliana (who may or may not be dead) is a strange coincidence. Then again, it serves as another demonstration of the scope and power of the Obsidian Order. It doesn’t matter that Kira is a prominent official. They decided they wanted her for reasons that had basically nothing to do with who she was (although her status as a Bajoran “terrorist,” and her role on DS9, probably didn’t hurt the cover story), and they grabbed her. It also serves as an example of how arrogant power can overreach itself, as their plan would’ve worked if they’d grabbed someone who didn’t have such dedicated friends. (And given that they could make Kira look like a Cardassian so effortlessly, they could’ve picked anyone to play this game with.)
• “Commander, this is extortion.” “Mmm. Yes, it is.” -Garak and Sisko, having the best exchange of the episode

“The Abandoned” (season 3, episode 6; originally aired 10/31/1994)

In which Odo tries to make up for the sins of the father/mother…

Here’s another familiar story: One of our heroes “adopts” an orphaned alien genetically pre-disposed to violent, anti-social behavior. On TNG , “Suddenly Human” had Picard working with a human raised by aliens, trying to get him to adapt to human ways. In “The Abandoned,” Odo tries to teach a young member of the Jem’Hadar not to want to kill everything. Both characters ultimately fail, although the ending of “Suddenly Human” is, unsurprisingly, more optimistic. But Odo’s story is more effective overall, because the never-named boy he works with doesn’t come from some random, previously unheard of alien culture. The Jem’Hadar are an established, important race in DS9 ’s burgeoning mythology, and, even more importantly, Odo, as a changeling, has a very specific relationship to that race, a relationship with alters his motivations. Picard did what he did because he’s a good man, and because good men try and do the right thing. Odo does what he does because he wants to prove beings don’t have to live the lives dictated by their genetics. It’s a partly selfish motive that’s still driven largely by altruistic intent, and the result is honest, sad, and the best use of Odo’s backstory that the show has managed this season.

That last bit is important, because the fact that Odo is an orphan Founder—that he basically had the same sort of upbringing as the Jem’Hadar boy, albeit in a lab, and over a much longer period of time—is a big deal. Odo was introduced as unique, someone without the society or context to understand his abilities or his place in the galaxy. But then, when he finally tracked down his homeworld, he learned that the rest of his race are cruel fascists, subjugating others to their will in order to protect themselves from any possible threat. It’s a shocking, painful transformation for the constable, and what helps make “The Abandoned” so satisfying is that it finds a way to make that change impact on an emotional and intellectual level. The reveal in “The Search” was a twist that took place in the last few minutes of the episode, without allowing much room for fallout. Now, though, Odo is trying to define himself in new ways, and this episode shows the difficulties inherent in such a journey.

It also gives us a better sense of who the Jem’Hadar are, and just how thoroughly the Founders have enslaved them. When Quark buys some salvage from one his usual associates, he discovers a lot of scrap metal, and a stasis chamber with a living infant boy inside. Bashir runs tests on the child, but is unable to determine his species; all the good doctor can be sure of is that the kid is growing at a fantastic rate, which is almost certainly the result of some high-class genetic engineering. So the infant becomes a toddler, and then toddler becomes a young man, and by now it’s obvious to everyone that the orphan is one of the Jem’Hadar. (He looks like he has a face made out of dinosaurs, for one.) The older he gets, the more violent and angry he becomes, and that’s where Odo comes in. In addition to their high metabolism (which seems to plateau when they hit prime fighting age) and built-in drug addiction, the Jem’Hadar are essentially programmed from birth to respect and instinctually obey the Founders. While Odo may not be officially on the team, he is a shape-changer, and that means the orphan will listen to what he says.

What follows is a fascinating, and occasionally heartbreaking, case of nature versus nurture, with the former winning a decisive victory over the latter. (Admittedly, the genetic engineering makes for suspect results.) When I mentioned this episode on Twitter, a few people compared it to the TNG episode “I, Borg,” in that both episodes have a hostile enemy set into a friendly environment. It makes for an interesting contrast. On the Enterprise , Dr. Crusher and Geordi were able to form a connection with Hugh, the stranded Borg, humanizing a heretofore faceless, and terrifying, threat. On DS9 , Odo tries to teach the boy about patience, reserve, and self-control, only for the Jem’Hadar to totally reject his efforts. The enemy has been faced, the talks were opened, and the result of our best efforts is a phaser in the face and a snarl. Not a bad way to remind the audience once again of just how unprepared our heroes are against their newest enemy.

Still, to my mind, the most compelling part of Odo’s story is how desperate he is throughout the hour to put a bright face on things. To this point, Odo has been defined by his gruff cynicism. He’s the classic “seen it all, didn’t believe most of it” lawman, an observer whose isolation puts him in a position to hold himself apart from everyone. Only now, he’s found his place, and it’s awful, and he’s struggling to come to terms with that. There’s a great scene early in the hour when Kira brings by a plant as a house-warming gift, and Odo, after initially not wanting to let her inside his new apartment, tells her excitedly about all his plans to try new shapes and new textures. It’s a sweet exchange between the two of them, but it also shows just how vulnerable and lonely Odo really is. He isn’t a cynic at heart; he wants to engage with life, he’s just terrified of risking a sense of self which had to have been tenuous even before he found out he came from a long line of villainous dictators. And now he’s got this young Jem’Hadar, a boy in a similar position to his own, and that means he has a chance to prove that he really can define himself by his own terms. If the Jem’Hadar can be saved, if this nearly psychotic warrior can learn to live on his own, Odo’s own position becomes more secure, and less solitary. But of course he can’t, because the universe doesn’t organize itself to strengthen our sense of self. The damage to the Jem’Hadar as a people is too deep to be healed by good intentions alone, and in the end, the best Odo can do is take the kid back to where he belongs.

The relationship resembles a father-son dynamic to an extent, so it’s not surprising that the subplot in “The Abandoned” spends some time with Jake and Sisko in their non-work lives. Jake has a girlfriend, a 20 year-old Dabo girl (who he’s mentioned before, right? Sometimes the details blur together), and Sisko is determined to put a stop to it. Only, when he has the girl, Mardah (Jill Sayre) over for a family dinner, he finds himself learning more about his son than he was expecting, and the new information changes his mind about the relationship. It’s not a bad storyline, and as always, I enjoy seeing Sisko work his way through being a father. I love that there’s never any question about him being a great dad—we don’t have to deal with a lot of clichés about Sisko working too hard, or about the two of them being estranged for drama’s sake. Jake is a little awkward around his father, but in a natural, non-dickish, teenage kind of way.

The contrast between Jake and his girlfriend, however, makes their romance harder to understand. Jake doesn’t look older than 16, and Mardah (who is likeable, and seems sweet) looks older than 20, and the two actors don’t have a huge amount of chemistry between them. The implication could be that the relationship is more platonic than sexual, but it’s treated so lightly that it’s hard to tell. 20 to 16 isn’t the worst ever, but imagine if Jake was a girl, and Mardah a guy—it’d be weird, and it is weird, in a way that the episode isn’t really willing to deal with.

Still, the main message—parents don’t always know what’s best for their children—fits in well with Odo’s arc, and certainly has a happier ending than the changeling’s. Again I find myself appreciating the episode as much for texture as for plot. Detail-wise, as with “Second Skin,” there’s a lot of entertaining sci-fi nonsense going on, what with its genetically engineered lizard soldier whose surgically induced drug addiction requires him to take constant doses of a synthetic compound only his shape-changing masters can create. But the fact that the episode takes this nonsense seriously, and, even better, uses it as a means to explore how people struggle to connect, and how that struggle is often more a reflection of their own needs. What Odo wants to do for the Jem’Hadar foundling is both commendable and selfish, and it’s possible to admire him for the former, while still recognizing the cost of the latter.

• O’Brien’s “16 years old and dating a Dabo girl. Godspeed, Jake,” is funny, but it also creeps me out. Yes, it’s standard to think of a teenage guy dating an older woman as some sort of sexual fantasy brought to life, but there’s still a power imbalance. Plus, while Mardah does seem to legitimately care for Jake, we don’t know enough about her to understand why she’d be interested in someone so young. I don’t want to make more of this than it deserves (and I suspect I already have), but in a show which is normally so good about staying true to its characters, this is a disappointing, if brief, misstep.
• “Now, tell me more about my poet hustler son.”—Sisko
• The speed with which the Jem’Hadar boy goes from “troubled, but trying” to “warrior able to use the station’s transporter and steal a phaser” is frightening, and great. It breaks down any illusion that Odo could control him for long. (It also demonstrates the absurdity of the Federation wanting to hold the boy in a lab. That would end badly.)

Next week: We face down some “Civil Defense,” and Dax gets intimate while cruising the “Meridian.”

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Recap / Star Trek Deep Space Nine S 03 E 06 The Abandoned

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Jake is hanging out at Quark's while his girlfriend Mardah works the Dabo table. After bilking a gambler out of his stake, she sits with Jake and tells him that his father has invited her to dinner. Jake is surprised but optimistic. Meanwhile, a shady trader named Rionoj seduces Quark into buying some salvage sight unseen. When Quark investigates his recent purchase, he discovers to his shock that it includes an alien infant.

The whole station crew jumps into investigating the incident. Bashir says that the infant is of an unknown species with an incredible metabolic rate. Sisko is taken with the child, reminded of Jake as a baby. Speaking of Jake, Sisko plans on ending his son's relationship with Mardah after their dinner, but he wants to at least meet her first.

The baby is growing at an amazing rate. By the next day, he looks nine years old, and Bashir says that the only explanation is genetic engineering. O'Brien notes that the baby was held in stasis, apparently to prevent it from maturing during the journey. Meanwhile, Kira visits Odo at his new quarters. The constable is reluctant to invite her in, but once he does, he reveals that he's building furniture to inspire his shapeshifting abilities. No longer in need of his old bucket for his periods of liquidation, he uses it as a pot for Kira's gifted houseplant, to her approval.

Bashir discusses the alien child with Dax, noting that he lacks a critical enzyme to survive. As they wonder at the purpose of such an obvious flaw, they're called away when the boy, now a man, breaks out of the infirmary. His mature appearance answers all the mystery surrounding him: he's a Jem'Hadar. He only stops rampaging when Odo arrives, and he instinctively submits to the "changeling."

Sisko tells his staff that the nameless Jem'Hadar will be taken to a research base for study, and Kira is happy to be rid of the killing machine. Odo and Bashir, however, argue that he has rights as a sentient being. Odo knows all too well how it feels to be raised in a laboratory. He convinces Sisko to delay the Jem'Hadar's departure. In that time, Odo forces his charge to submit to Bashir's tests to replicate the missing enzyme.

At dinner, Sisko asks Mardah about herself but ends up learning more about his son. She tells him how Jake writes beautiful poetry and hustles dom-jot in his spare time. Sisko is dumbfounded and impressed.

Odo tries to take the Jem'Hadar under his wing, teaching him that changelings are no better than anyone else and that he must think for himself. The Jem'Hadar states that he wants to find his people. Odo tells him that his people are brutal warriors, but he doesn't need to be. To slake the man's thirst for violence, Odo introduces him to a training program in the holosuites, telling him that he must control himself while outside. Kira is less than impressed by this tactic. Soon afterward, Bashir manages to replicate the missing enzyme, which the crew now hypothesize was invented as a means to control the Jem'Hadar.

Odo continues trying to help the Jem'Hadar break out of his genetic conditioning for simple violence, to little success. Sisko summons Odo and announces that Starfleet is coming for the man after all, but the Jem'Hadar has been listening in. He appears and holds Sisko at phaserpoint, saying that he won't be taken prisoner. He demands access to a runabout. The crew comply. Odo tries to talk the Jem'Hadar out of it, but to no avail. Odo convinces Sisko to allow him and the Jem'Hadar to leave peacefully, assuring him that he's at no risk from his captor.

With peace restored, Sisko decides not to end Jake's relationship with Mardah after getting to know his son better. When Odo returns, he stops by Kira's table at the Replimat and admits that she was right about the Jem'Hadar all along.

• Age-Gap Romance : Sisko bristles at the thought of his 16-year-old son romancing a 20-year-old Dabo woman.
• Amazingly Embarrassing Parents : Sisko finds out from Mardah some things about Jake he didn't know, and he relishes getting all the juicy details.
• Bittersweet Ending : Odo does what he can to raise the Jem'Hadar to be more humanistic, but there's nothing anyone can do - the Jem'Hadar just can't go against his programming. Odo has to let him go to protect his fellow officers.
• Blood Knight : This episode shows that for the Jem'Hadar, fighting isn't something they do just because their masters tell them to, it's an actual physical need that is instilled in them from birth.
• Cuteness Proximity : Sisko practically turns to jelly once he gets the chance to hold the baby, to the point where he barely pays attention when Dax and Bashir give him information.
• Death Glare : When Quark protests the summary seizure of his salvage, Sisko doesn't even bother to justify his decision. He just shoots Quark a mean stare until the hapless Ferengi backs down.
• Foreshadowing : In a lunch with Dax, Bashir notes how the child seems to be missing a key enzyme and is baffled why someone would "engineer a child with such an obvious defect." This turns out to be a key clue to the boy being a Jem'Hadar, as the Founders put in their addiction.
• Hard Truth Aesop : Some people can't be saved from themselves.
• Henchmen Race : The Founders seem to have stripped everything out of the Jem'Hadar that doesn't involve fighting or obeying their creators. And they've engineered them with an innate addiction to a substance only the Founders can produce for good measure.
• Hidden Depths : Jake wanted Benjamin to get to know Mardah, but when Benjamin spends time with the two of them he's surprised to learn a few things about Jake he didn't know before, like that he sometimes writes poetry.
• Just a Machine : A bio-engineering example. There is much discussion at first on whether the Jem'Hadar are really 'people' or just organic killing machines created by the founders, with Odo directly stating his desire to find out. While they are thinking beings, they are (mostly) incapable of going against their programming and lack free will and Odo agrees to send the Jem'Hadar off to protect everyone else.
• Little "No" : Quark, when he realizes that he accidentally bought a baby.
• Ms. Fanservice : Mardah's low-cut outfit proves that all species value the same attributes in a Dabo girl. The fact that Jake could even look her in the eye shows Cirroc Lofton's a pretty good actor.
• The Nameless : No one gives the Jem'Hadar a name.
• Nature vs. Nurture : The main theme of the episode. Odo's a strong believer in Nurture due to his own experiences, but it turns out Nature's pretty damn strong for the Jem'Hadar.
• Orc Raised by Elves : It's tried with the Jem'Hadar baby, but the Founders had genetically engineered them to hate all non-Founders, and the attempt to raise him like Worf fails.
• Out of Focus : While Quark gets more than a Mandatory Line , he's only in the beginning of the episode.
• Plot-Relevant Age-Up : The Jem'Hadar are genetically engineered to reach maturity and become battle-ready as quickly as possible.
• P.O.V. Cam : The Jem'Hadar leaving the infirmary and getting a lot of shocked and fearful looks from people on the Promenade.
• Riddle for the Ages : We never find out what the freighter was doing with an infant Jem'Hadar or what happened to it.
• Shipper on Deck : O'Brien. "Sixteen years old and dating a Dabo girl. Godspeed, Jake."
• Tragic Villain : The Jem'Hadar as established as such in this episode. They are a violent race whose instincts were engineered into them, and it is played for tragedy that the Jem'Hadar in this episode can't fight against his violent nature. They are an Always Chaotic Evil race who were genetically engineered to be that way by cruel masters, and even with their instinctive Undying Loyalty the Founders still engineered them to need drugs to survive that only they can provide.
• What the Hell, Hero? : Both Odo and Bashir are not happy with Sisko willing to give the boy over to Starfleet to turn him into a lab rat. Odo knows what that's like first-hand and how badly the boy will feel. Bashir agrees that whatever else, the Jem'Hadar is a sentient being and not just an experiment to study.
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S03 E05 "Second Skin"
• Recap/Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
• Star Trek Deep Space Nine S 03 E 07 Civil Defense

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The Abandoned (episode)

• View history

After Quark finds a infant Jem'Hadar , Odo works with the youth to attempt to free him of his desire for violence.

• 2.1 Characters
• 2.2 Locations
• 2.3 Starships
• 2.4 Races and cultures
• 2.5 States and organizations
• 2.6 Science and technology
• 2.7 Other references
• 3.1 Related stories
• 3.2.1 Notable cast and crew
• 3.3.1 Timeline
• 3.4 External links

Summary [ ]

The Boslic freighter captain pays a visit to Quark and sells him salvage from the Gamma Quadrant. Inspecting his purchase, Quark finds a baby amongst the salvage. The baby, a boy of an undetermined species, quickly ages, until the crew realize that he is a Jem'Hadar.

References [ ]

Characters [ ], locations [ ], starships [ ], races and cultures [ ], states and organizations [ ], science and technology [ ], other references [ ], appendices [ ], related stories [ ].

• The young Jem'Hadar also appears in The Looking Glass War and Victory Is Life . Kira recalls the young Jem'Hadar in Avatar, Book One and Sisko recalls him in Fearful Symmetry . The Jem'Hadar were introduced in " The Jem'Hadar ". Odo shows the Jem'Hadar a scene from " The Search ".

Background [ ]

Notable cast and crew [ ].

• Directed by Avery Brooks
• Avery Brooks as Benjamin Sisko
• Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys
• Rene Auberjonois as Odo
• Alexander Siddig as Julian Bashir
• Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax
• Armin Shimerman as Quark
• Bumper Robinson as the Jem'Hadar

Connections [ ]

Timeline [ ], external links [ ].

• The Abandoned (episode) article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• The Abandoned (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 The Chase
• 3 Preserver (race)

How the Abandoned Star Trek: Phase II Pilot Became The Motion Picture

Series creator Gene Roddenberry was going to remake his hit show for the small screen in Star Trek: Phase II, but the studio canceled it for a movie.

Ten years after Star Trek was unceremoniously canceled by NBC, The Motion Picture hit the box office. It was a hit financially, but audiences, critics and even the cast felt the film wasn't the universe at its best. However, the hunt for a Star Trek movie was long and fraught, with the studio giving up and going back to television. Star Trek: The Motion Picture was born from the ashes of a pilot episode for the Phase II series that would've brought the Enterprise back to the small screen.

Paramount long wanted to launch its own broadcast network, which it eventually did with its failed United Paramount Network. Still, like Enterprise tried to do, the studio wanted its most profitable franchise to anchor its programming. Thus, series creator Gene Roddenberry was brought in to create Star Trek: Phase II . Other attempts to make a movie failed, like the infamous Star Trek: Planet of the Titans movie . However, the money the studio would lose starting a network compared to what could be made with a movie like Star Wars: A New Hope or Close Encounters of the Third Kind ended the show days before the pilot began filming. The story for the pilot, a script called "In Thy Image," based on a story by Alan Dean Foster, became the framework on which Star Trek: The Motion Picture was built. While fans remain divided about the movie, it was a fortunate break for Trekkies. Star Trek: Phase II was no The Next Generation , and it likely would've failed.

RELATED: Star Trek Is Primed for a Return of These Previously-Hated Aliens

Star Trek: Phase II's Head Writer Was the Wrong Choice for the Show or the Movie

While Roddenberry liked the idea of a movie , he liked the idea of a TV series more. He could retain more creative control as the producer. Roddenberry believed a movie would mark the end of Star Trek . For Phase II , he took an approach like George Lucas did for the second and third movies of his original Star Wars trilogy . He would oversee the entire production, delegating writing and production tasks to others. When Paramount eventually repurposed the pilot episode as The Motion Picture , Roddenberry saw his influence reduced. Yet, it wasn't director Robert Wise he clashed most with, it was a man he hired himself.

He hired Harold Livingston, a TV writer whose series Future Cop lasted on ABC for only five episodes. He disapproved of Star Trek 's "geriatric" cast and "allegorical" stories, according to The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. Livingston "never read" the Star Trek: Phase II writers guide Roddenberry created. He believed he could create a bigger audience for the characters on his own. When Foster brought his scripts, Livingston "thought [they] were terrible" and "didn't want him to write." Everyone else disagreed, choosing "In Thy Image," about an old NASA space probe that returned to Earth wreaking havoc as the story for the film.

Paramount originally thought the low-budget movie would serve as a backdoor pilot for a new series. Livingston was brought back to make Foster's "TV story" into one worthy of the big-screen budget . Instead of working with Roddenberry, whose writing skill Livingston did not respect, he seemed to care more about fighting him than finishing the job. He quit multiple times and admitted in The Fifty-Year Mission that he didn't know how to end the thing. Who actually came up with the idea for Will Decker and Ilia to "merge" with V'Ger remains a mystery, but it was the best ending they could come up with on such short notice. Paramount presold the film and would've released it unfinished to avoid breaking the contract.

RELATED: Paramount's DMCA Claim Against Fan-Made Star Trek Project Is a Huge Mistake

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Artists Used Phase II as the Movie's Foundation

Star Trek: Phase II was nearly ready to begin production on its pilot episode when Paramount canceled it for The Motion Picture . Costumes, sets and the Enterprise redesigned by Matt Jefferies were all scrapped. A veteran director, Robert Wise was able to handle Livingston's near-constant feuds with Roddenberry. The real problem for the movie was the visual effects production. An upstart visual effects company showed Wise test footage with a potato standing in for the ship because they hadn't built it, according to The Fifty-Year Mission . Multiple people interviewed for the book noted that meeting was the only time they remembered seeing Wise actually angry. Luckily, Star Wars visual effects legends John Dykstra and Douglas Trumbull stepped in and saved the picture.

With such a tight schedule to film (and no completed script), Wise picked and chose Star Trek: Phase II 's elements for his film. Xon, the new Vulcan, was left behind, while Decker and Ilia became the tragic heroes of the film. The Enterprise bridge had been redesigned with practical lights and switches to last the run of a show. Wise had it redesigned again to improve the look and reduce the functionality since this was a one-off story. He also had the designers put in the seat restraints because he thought the crew flailing about the bridge was too silly for his serious film. While Star Trek: Phase II had humor like The Original Series , Livingston and Wise wanted the movie to be deadly serious.

At the end of the film, when Dr. McCoy agrees to stay on the ship, Leonard Nimoy improvised a classic Spock line. "If Doctor McCoy is to remain on board," Spock said, "then my presence here will be essential." They told him not to do it again. Luckily, Roddenberry took Phase II leftovers for The Next Generation . The new human-intrigued Vulcan became Data. The original characterization of Ilia was reworked for Counselor Deanna Troi's character. So much of the fraught production during The Motion Picture came from the writer and director discounting the work of the artists who knew Star Trek best.

Screen Rant

15 biggest star trek plot holes & loose ends that can be solved by comics.

IDW's new Star Trek comics have explored many of the franchise's abandoned plot lines, and here are 15 more begging for follow-up.

• IDW's Star Trek comics can resolve forgotten plot lines, like Agnes Jurati's post-Picard fate, to create an epic, cohesive story.
• Armus, from TNG 's "Skin of Evil," could be explored further in IDW's comics, delving into his origin and potential tie-in to the god war.
• The First Federation, alien Cytherians, and other powerful races left behind in the Star Trek universe could find new life and resolution in IDW's comics.

Over the course of its 58-year history, Star Trek has featured numerous alien races and exotic planets. Some of these races, such as the Vulcans or the Borg, became integral to the Star Trek mythos. These races received substantial development throughout the years. Yet for every race or planet that would become foundational, many more were just forgotten about.

The Star Trek franchise is littered with loose ends and dangling plot lines. Recently, one of Trek’s biggest mysteries, the parasitic aliens from the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation , returned to the pages of Defiant. IDW’s new line of Trek comics has synthesized a number of franchise loose ends together, creating an epic, and cohesive, story. There are many more such plot lines in the Star Trek universe, and IDW’s comics are the perfect place to resolve them. Unconstrained by a visual effects budget, these stories could get the resolution they deserve.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 Ending Explained

15 the borg queen was going to be a major player in the star trek universe…until she wasn’t, idw’s star trek comics could actually show what agnes jurati has been doing.

Agnes Jurati, played by Allison Pill, was a key character in the first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard , but her most intriguing storyline was left out to pasture. After winning a war of wits with a Borg Queen in season two, Jurati becomes a new type of Queen. More benevolent than her predecessors, she and her forces appeared out of the blue, petitioning the Federation for membership.

These Borg were also monitoring something that could potentially be a threat. This highly intriguing premise was promptly discarded in favor of a Next Generation reunion in Picard’s final season. While a future spin-off show could address this issue, IDW’s Star Trek comics would be ideal to continue the story. The vague threat Agnes is protecting the Federation from could be displayed in all its cosmic glory, as could her new Borg .

Star Trek: Picard

After starring in Star Trek: The Next Generation for seven seasons and various other Star Trek projects, Patrick Stewart is back as Jean-Luc Picard. Star Trek: Picard focuses on a retired Picard who is living on his family vineyard as he struggles to cope with the death of Data and the destruction of Romulus. But before too long, Picard is pulled back into the action.

14 Armus Had an Intriguing Origin, But Was Left Behind on a Desolate Planet

The comics could tie armus into its franchise-spanning "god war".

Armus made one major appearance on-screen, but between his mind-blowing origin and murdering Tasha Yar, he made it count. In one episode, Armus boasted to the crew of the Enterprise that he was a cast-off from a “race of Titans.” These mysterious Titans distilled their evil and destructive urges, and it created Armus. A holographic form of Armus appeared in the recent Holo-Ween miniseries, but IDW’s new line of Star Trek comics would be perfect to follow-up on Armus and his origin.

The new Trek comics have explored humanity’s relationship with their gods. Armus, and the Titans that made him, could become major players in the ongoing god war that is rocking the franchise. The Titans could return for Armus, and find themselves in Kahless’ cross-hairs.

Armus was named after Burton Armus, a producer on Star Trek: The Next Generation .

13 The Mystery of Darwin Station’s Illegal Activities Are Perfect For the Comics

Darwin station flaunted the federation’s rules, and idw can reveal how they got away with it.

Genetic engineering of any kind is illegal in the Federation, but Darwin Station did it anyway, and the comics could solve lingering mysteries surrounding it. There is a “real world” reason why: the writers had not thought up the embargo on genetic engineering. The ban was revealed later in Deep Space Nine’s run, making it a retcon. However, the comics could provide a great “in-universe” rationale for the Darwin Station's actions.

Even before the ban was revealed, Trek already had a dicey relationship with the topic. The warlord Khan was the product of genetic engineering, for instance. IDW’s Star Trek comics could show how Darwin Station skirted around not only the law, but the ethics of what they were doing. Star Trek: Defiant has worked in the franchise’s gray areas, making it perfect to continue Darwin Station's story.

The Federation's ban on genetic engineering was first mentioned in the Deep Space Nine episode "Doctor Bashir...I Presume."

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse

12 The Kelvan Empire Was More Powerful Than The Federation (But Haven't Been Seen in 50+ Years)

The kelvans’ unique appearance is absolutely perfect for a comics return.

The Kelvans are the perfect Star Trek loose end for IDW to address. Hailing from the distant Andromeda Galaxy, the Kelvans came to ours on a mission of colonization. Of course, Kirk and company convinced the Kelvans of the error of their ways. Kirk gave the Kelvans their own planet, and then they were promptly forgotten. The Kelvans had technology able to traverse the gaps between galaxies, something the Federation still does not have as of the 32nd century.

The comics could showcase the Kelvans’ highly advanced ships, but even more importantly, the Kelvans seen on-screen were not their real form. Their true forms are highly Lovecraftian in nature, which could provide a challenge to even today’s FX budgets , but the comics would have no such issues, and could show the Kelvans in all their horrifying glory.

11 The First Federation Had Massive Starships, and Massive Potential

The enigmatic first federation of star trek history is perfect for comics.

In the recent “Glass and Bone” story running through the flagship Star Trek title, artist Marcus To brought the Tzenkethi and their gigantic warships to stunning life.

The First Federation is one of Star Trek’s biggest mysteries, in more ways than one, and IDW’s comics could develop them even further. In their sole appearance, the First Federation possessed massive, globe-like starships that made the Enterprise look insignificant. Despite their episode ending with the promise of a cultural exchange, the First Federation was never seen again.

The First Federation’s enormous ships might prove daunting to a visual effects team. However, in the recent “Glass and Bone” story running through the flagship Star Trek title, artist Marcus To brought the Tzenkethi and their gigantic warships to stunning life . The First Federation appears far more peaceful than the Tzenkethi, meaning their ships will look very different , giving the comics an opportunity to explore an entirely new design aesthetic .

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series follows the exploits of the crew of the USS Enterprise on a five-year mission to explore uncharted space.

10 Star Trek Characters Who Own Their Own Starship

10 the cytherians could've tipped the balance of power in the alpha quadrant, they can still return to play an important role in the oustanding "god war".

Introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s fourth season, the Cytherians send probes out into the galaxy. One such probe found Lieutenant Barclay, and greatly increased his intelligence . Barclay then hijacks the ship, taking it to the Cytherians' homeworld. The Cytherians were an immensely powerful race who only sought cultural exchange, but they were soon forgotten. With their great power and intellect, any information imparted by the Cytherians would have huge ramifications across the quadrant, but no canonical media has ever followed up on it.

With classic (and powerful) races such as the T’Kon and the Organians making their return in IDW’s Star Trek comics, the Cytherians could make an entry into the god war as well.

Some fans have speculated the Cytherian seen in "The Nth Degree" may be connected to the god-like entity from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

9 Where Did the Tin Man Go? The Comics Can Finally Solve The Mystery

Tin man was one of the most unique life forms ever seen in star trek.

The Star Trek universe is full of diverse types of lifeforms, and Tin Man might rank as one of the most memorable. The size of a small starship, “Tin Man,” as he came to be called, was a space-faring organism of great power. In his episode, both the Federation and the Romulans fought for control over him, but he proved to be more than a match for them.

In the same episode, Tin Man bonds with a troubled Betazoid. Data witnesses the whole thing happening, and refuses to describe it to Picard, heightening the mystery of Tin Man. While Tin Man may not be a Star Trek god in the same sense as Q and the Organians , he is still quite powerful and could easily become a target for Kahless and his crusade against the gods.

8 “Time Squared” Set Up an Eerie Mystery, But Never Delivered

The star trek comics can reveal the mystery of the episode's 'time trap'.

“Time Squared” set up an intriguing mystery, but even the episode itself failed to deliver on the set-up. In it, the crew of the Enterprise discover a shuttlepod containing a copy of Captain Picard from six hours in the future. The crew discover that a calamity will befall the ship then. Shortly thereafter, they find themselves caught in some sort of vortex.

While a tense and enjoyable episode, “Time Squared” never revealed who was behind the time trap and the future Picard. IDW’s Star Trek comics would be the perfect forum to explore the implications of “Time Squared” further. The time trap the crew encountered could easily be worked into the god war storyline.

Q was originally intended to be behind the events of "Time Squared," but Gene Roddenberry nixed the idea.

7 The Preservers Are Important to the History of the Star Trek Universe

The preservers explain a key franchise mystery.

Introduced in Star Trek’s third season, the Preservers were one of the franchise’s attempts to explain why so many aliens encountered on the show were humanoid. The Preservers traveled the cosmos, abducting people from their home planets and settling them on another. The Preservers themselves never appeared on-screen, only remnants of their advanced technology .

Their motivations are unknown, as is their final fate. IDW’s line of Star Trek comics have shown races far more advanced than the Federation, such as the T’Kon Empire and the Shapers of Sardakesh . In both cases, the comics gave a true glimpse of these entities’ amazing powers, and they far outstrip anything the Federation is capable of. The Preservers should get this treatment as well, as is befitting such an important Star Trek race.

Every Star Trek Movie Comic Book Adaptation, Ranked

6 doctor moriarty’s missing years: we need to know what happened, how did moriarty end up working for the shadowy section 31.

One of the best Star Trek villains, the holographic Doctor Moriarty’s missing years deserve to be explored in the comics. In the episode “Ship in a Bottle,” airing during Star Trek: The Next Generation’s sixth season, Moriarty was trapped in a mobile memory cube. It was made to appear that he was exploring the galaxy with the love of his life. Moriarty seemed to have a happy ending.

However, in Picard season three, he is seen working as a security program in a Section 31 facility. No explanation was given as to how Moriarty ended up there, or if he even had any choice in the matter. Last year’s Star Trek Annual featured a group of rogue holograms, and the story beautifully touched on their right to exist. Moriarty’s return in the comics could touch on similar themes.

Professor Moriarty was played by actor Daniel Davis in all three of the character's appearances.

5 The Franchise’s Worst Episode Can Be Redeemed By The Return of Lazarus

Lazarus’ episode seeded several mysteries that idw can finally pay off.

Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise met Lazarus early in the five-year mission, but only the bare minimum was revealed about him, and the comics would be perfect to continue his story. Lazarus claimed to be fighting an evil entity from another dimension–albeit one that looked like him. Lazarus was also a being of great power: his appearances nearly destroyed the galaxy.

However, Lazarus was forgotten by the following episode, which, thanks to its incoherence and go-nowhere plot lines, is regarded as one of the franchise’s worst. IDW’s Star Trek comics are perfect for bringing Lazarus back. The evil entity Lazarus was fighting, whatever it may really look like, could be brought to life in the comics.

4 Worf’s Brother Kurn is One of Star Trek’s Most Tragic Characters

The comics can rectify a massive wrong in worf's family legacy.

Worf and his family drama have been front and center in IDW’s line of Star Trek comics, and they should keep this trend going by bringing back his brother Kurn. Kurn, once a high ranking member of the Klingon Defense Force, had his memory wiped later in Deep Space Nine. At that time, the peace treaty between the Federation and the Klingos was null and void. In the aftermath, Worf was dishonored and this shame carried to his brother –hence the mind wipe.

Worf’s son, Alexander returned during Day of Blood , forcing Worf to confront the fact he was a less than stellar father. Like Alexander, Kurn did nothing wrong but had to pay because of Worf’s actions. Kurn’s return, and the ensuing drama, could make for compelling stories.

3 The Aftermath of Voyager’s Return Was Never Explored On-Screen

What happened to all the technology voyager brought back.

When the starship Voyager returns home after seven years in the Delta Quadrant, it brought with it vast stores of information and technology. Voyager brings back powerful new weapons to fight the Borg, such as the transphasic torpedo . However, no on-screen Star Trek has explored what happened to the awesome technology in the wake of Voyager’s return.

Indeed, it seems some of Voyager’s innovations have been swept under the rug. Several Voyager characters have returned in IDW’s Star Trek comics. This allows for their stories to continue. For example, Harry Kim, Voyager’s Operations Officer, has grown up as an officer, and may have even joined Section 31. IDW has a golden opportunity to develop Voyager’s characters even further by revealing their lives post-return.

Star Trek Voyager

Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, Star Trek: Voyager follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before.

2 The Whale Probe Nearly Destroyed Earth (and The Federation)

It took off to another part of the galaxy…and was never seen again.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is one of the most popular films in the franchise–and the source of one of its biggest dropped plot lines. The movie’s mysterious “whale” probe, named because the only creature that could communicate with it was whales, nearly destroyed Earth . It caused a great deal of environmental damage, but Kirk and company were able to save the day by depositing two 20th century whales in the ocean.

The two whales convinced the probe to stop whatever it was doing, and return home. The probe was an object of unbelievable power, able to render all technology useless. Where it went after Star Trek IV is unknown, but it would make a great addition to the god war storyline currently unfolding in IDW’s comics.

The Whale Probe was added to the opening credits for Season Four of Star Trek: Lower Decks .

1 The Aliens from “Schism” Need to Follow The “Conspiracy” Aliens Back to the Star Trek Universe

The “schism” aliens are still one of the franchise’s most terrifying, and mysterious.

The sixth season Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Schisms,” ostensibly a story of alien abduction set in the 24th century, was one of the franchise’s most unnerving episodes . A race of mysterious, vaguely humanoid aliens from somewhere in subspace begin abducting Enterprise crew members and performing experiments on them. The aliens were depicted as just that: aliens.

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry hated "Conspiracy," on the grounds that it painted Starfleet in a bad light.

In many ways, the aliens from “Schism” are like the parasites from “Conspiracy.” In both episodes, the Enterprise was under siege by terrifying aliens. Both episodes also end on an ambiguous note, with the implication that these species could return, and destroy us, at any moment. IDW’s Star Trek comics brought the “Conspiracy” aliens back, and made them more terrifying than ever–and there is no doubt they could do the same with the subspace dwellers from “Schism.”

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Reveals Moll & L’ak’s Backstory — Plus, What’s Next?

Spoiler Alert

Where No One Has Gone Before

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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for  Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 5 “Mirrors.”]

It’s far from a meet cute and in no way the start of a rom-com, but  Star Trek: Discovery does offer a look at how Moll ( Eve Harlow ) and L’ak ( Elias Toufexis ) first crossed paths and what led them to become Captain Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) and her crew’s foes in the latest episode.

“Mirrors” takes Michael and Book ( David Ajala ), who has realized Moll is the daughter of his mentor, into a pocket of interdimensional space and onto the abandoned  ISS Enterprise , where they try to get through to Moll and L’ak with both pairs after the same thing: the next piece of the puzzle that will unlock the ultimate power everyone’s after this season. Book tries to get through to Moll, and L’ak ends up injured. But rather than turn themselves in, as Michael and Book try to convince them to do, Moll and L’ak set off as soon as they get the chance.

Read on for insight from Ajala, Harlow, and Toufexis about this episode, filming on the  ISS Enterprise set, and more.

When L’ak Met Moll

As flashbacks detail, Moll was a courier who met L’ak on one of her deliveries; he was the primarch’s nephew who’d been demoted to shuttle bay duty and ultimately took her side, leading the two to flee and now there’s a blood bounty on them. Both Harlow and Toufexis had hints about their characters’ backstory, but it wasn’t until the script for this episode that they got the full picture.

“I was bugging them for the script to 505 because they told me [the backstory] was [that episode],” Toufexis tells TV Insider of what he says is his favorite episode he’s in. “They gave me a little bit of background so I could play it in the other episodes, but when I saw the episode, I was so happy because I play a lot of bad guys on TV, and more often than not, you don’t get to find out why they’re bad or why they’re doing what they’re doing—not that these guys are bad inherently. The fact that we get to go back and literally show and play everything, almost everything, at least for the reasoning why they’ve made these decisions and why they are who they are—that combined with the love story was my favorite thing about these characters for sure.”

Playing a love story as an antagonist was different for him, he explains. “They very rarely have a counterpart,” he says. “I was really happy that I have this to play, this reason to go on is Moll for L’ak. And that love story is the most interesting part of it for me, just being in love. Especially in sci-fi, it’s really rare, especially for antagonists. I just want to be in love and free is original, I think.”

'Star Trek: Discovery' Stars Tease How Series Ends for Their Characters

Harlow, too, enjoyed getting to “run around being in love” as what she calls her favorite character she’s played. She recalls that the sides she auditioned with, while fake scripts, are situations like in Episode 5. “Every episode that came out was really exciting because we didn’t know what we were getting and [we were] seeing it unfold in such an interesting way and getting more layers,” she says. “These characters are nuanced.”

Can Book Get Through to Moll?

When the episode begins, Book thinks Moll can turn things around and he might be able to reach her, and he does try to do so when they’re split off from Michael and L’ak. But while her father was his mentor, to Moll, he was just the person who left her and her mom.

“It’s like Moll has now offered a bit of a lifeline, someone who’s known Cleveland Booker, who was this Cleveland Booker’s mentor, to kind of understand more about his character, which Book assumed would have been positive,” says Ajala. “But then to hear Moll speak so negatively about Cleveland Booker gives him pause for thought.”

Book wasn’t able to get through to Moll, and Harlow doesn’t think he stands a chance of ever doing so. “Anyone who has mommy or daddy issues knows, it’s years of therapy. I think that those parent relationships are really difficult and I think that always the knee jerk reaction is, ‘No, I don’t want to face it,’ until you’re forced to face it. It’s her own resistance and the way that Moll has survived is with this hatred and pushing away of her father. It would require a complete 180 [and] years of therapy,” she says with a laugh. “Spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery – Moll in Therapy .”

But even so, is that connection to Book something that L’ak might be worried about? Toufexis admits it’s not something he had to consider. “L’ak is very untrusting of anybody, especially people that show particular interest in Moll,” he shares before teasing, “The trust grows more between Moll and L’ak because of her decisions towards Book.”

John Medland / Paramount+

Still, Book isn’t willing to give up on Moll. “This season is all about second chances,” Ajala points out, adding that his character has received one. “He now wants to afford the same grace to Moll. It does get more challenging as the season progresses and it gets more complicated, but I feel that Book just has to try and see it through to make it worth it.”

For Book, the best-case scenario is this ends with “Moll finding favor amongst Starfleet and not going sown a destructive path,” says Ajala, but just because he wants this to work out doesn’t mean that it necessarily will—or that he doesn’t have a line when it comes to her. “If she makes a decision that she would never be able to come back from, that would be really, really sad.”

What’s Next for Moll & L’ak?

Last we saw the two, they were heading off with medical supplies and L’ak was injured. You’ll have to watch to see exactly what’s next but, “he’s fine,” says Toufexis.

As for the next time Book encounters Moll, “there will be drama,” Ajala teases. “It’s a very nuanced, complicated situation, and I think they’re both in very unfamiliar territory, but it’s going to be very important that they make the right decision or it will have a dramatic effect.”

What he’ll probably have to keep in mind is that there doesn’t seem to be anything that could make Moll or L’ak turn on the other and there isn’t a limit to how far they will go for one another. “This sounds so corny, but we only have each other,” says Harlow. “It’s us against the world.”

But that doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t surrender. At one point, Michael tries to convince L’ak to do just that, and he asks if he and Moll would serve their time together.

“I remember specifically playing that and thinking, ‘Okay, he’s looking for at least a way out, recalls Toufexis, “but the end result has to be they’re free and together, or at least they’re together and safe. There are some rules that they both really need people to accept if they’re going to give in, and I don’t think they are.”

Harlow agrees that it would take “freedom and safety” for them to surrender, “and no one’s giving us that, so we have to get it ourselves in whatever way we can.”

Marni Grossman / Paramount+

Filming on the ISS Enterprise

Most of this episode takes place on the  ISS Enterprise , and as a big Star Trek fan, Toufexis was thrilled. Before getting the script for Episode 5, “I had heard a props guy or maybe a set deck guy talking [about] the Enterprise , and I was like, ‘I’m sorry, what was that? We’re going to the Enterprise ?'” he shares, admitting that he did take photos on the set that he will never publish. “I love being on that ship. I was texting my family, ‘Can you believe this? I’m on the freaking Enterprise . This is crazy.’ There’s footage of me at 15 years old doing a Star Trek TV show in my friend’s basement where we built an Enterprise out of cardboard. So the fact that I’m on the actual Enterprise now, that’s pretty crazy.”

Harlow chimes in to share that Toufexis surprised people on set by knowing what all the props were in the first episode of the season (see photo above).

Ajala chose to wait until he stepped on the set to film to see it. “I was quite intentional about that because I didn’t want to become too familiar and take this wonderful set for granted,” he explains. “I literally laid eyes on it when the camera was rolling. One would say that’s a slightly unorthodox way of working, but I found it really, really informative and it was a super special moment to just be in that space.”

What did you think of Moll and L’ak’s backstory? Let us know in the comments section, below.

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• April 23, 2024 | THEORY: Did ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Finally Resolve The “Calypso” Mystery?

THEORY: Did ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Finally Resolve The “Calypso” Mystery?

| April 23, 2024 | By: Iain Robertson 35 comments so far

“ Face the Strange ,” the fourth episode of Star Trek: Discovery’s  final season, gave us a fun, old-fashioned Trek time travel adventure, but one scene in particular seems to tie into an intriguing and previously unexplained look into the far future.

Playing the long game with Short Treks

In “ Calypso ,” the second episode of Star Trek: Short Treks , we were presented with a vision of a future USS Discovery where the ship had been abandoned for almost 1,000 years. The ship’s sole inhabitant was Zora, a sentient AI with a penchant for watching musicals from Hollywood’s Golden Age to pass the time. While season 3 of Discovery partially delivered on the showrunner’s promise to provide a link to “Calypso” by showing how Zora emerged from the “ Sphere Data ,” just how the USS Discovery ended up abandoned in that far future has remained a lingering mystery.

Zora’s POV in “Calypso”

“Face The Strange” didn’t see Burnham and Rayner jump anywhere near that far—just to the year 3218, 30 years or so into the characters’ futures. In this dark future, the Breen had obtained the Progenitors’ technology from Moll and L’ak and used it to launch a devastating attack on the Federation. Burnham and the rest of Discovery’s crew had been dead for decades, and Zora was again the ship’s lone occupant, with a penchant for the music of Doris Day.

Zora’s musical taste and familiar shots of her “Zora Vision” POV suggest an attempt to resolve the remaining mystery linking the Short Treks episode to Discovery . One big clue is that “Face the Strange” was written by Sean Cochran, who co-wrote “Calypso” with Picard co-creator Michael Chabon. So if we accept that the callbacks to “Calypso” were deliberate, what can they mean?

Zora’s POV in “Face the Strange”

Let’s take a look at three potential possibilities…

THEORY 1: “Calypso” is part of the same alternate future

The first and most obvious explanation is that “Calypso” is a continuation of the possible future shown in “Face the Strange.” The Discovery’s crew are killed by the Breen, who succeed in conquering the Federation. Zora is then left on the deserted ship for the next 1,000 years (which would place it around the 43rd Century), whiling away the centuries listening to Doris Day and watching musicals—in particular, the Fred Astaire/Audrey Hepburn classic Funny Face —until she encounters the character of Craft (Aldis Hodge).

Zora’s musical tastes, the abandoned ship, and the “Zora vision” scenes would definitely suggest “Calypso” as a continuation of this particular future. Since Burnham and the Discovery crew are fighting to find the Progenitors’ technology before Moll and L’ak  (and likely to succeed), this would mean that future would cease to exist, and “Calypso” is an intriguing never-to-be alternate future, similar to the outcome of episodes like Voyager’s  “Timeless” or  Next Generation’s  “All Good Things.”

There are however some inconsistencies between the two futures.

Firstly, the version of Discovery seen in “Calypso” is the 23rd-century version, prior to its 32nd-century refit. Most notably, the ship clearly has the original NCC-1031 designation, missing the ‘A’ that was added in the refit. Of course, the obvious, real-world reason is that “Calypso” was made between seasons 1 and 2 of Discovery , before the show’s jump to the future and redesign of the ship. This doesn’t make sense in-universe, but Short Treks has some other canon hiccups, so trying to explain away the missing “A” designation may be asking too much. The ship seen in “Face the Strange” is also in worse condition, but it’s likely Zora had Dots available which could affect repairs.

The Discovery in “Calypso” – No bloody A, B, C or D

Another inconsistency is that in “Calypso,” Zora tells Craft “the crew is away at present,” and says she has orders to maintain her current position, which doesn’t match with the events shown in “Face the Strange,” where she clearly stated that the crew had died. However, we don’t know what 1,000 years of isolation may have had on Zora. As a sentient life form, it’s possible by the time of “Calypso” she’s been experiencing some kind of AI senility or has repressed the traumatic memories of the crew’s demise. It’s also possible that she incurred some damage over the centuries, making her misremember the events.

In “Calypso,” Craft states he’s a soldier fighting the “V’draysh,” which is a bastardization of “Federation,” according to Michael Chabon. This doesn’t make sense if the Federation was defeated 1,000 years earlier; would the name still be in use? The name “V’draysh” was used once in the third season of Discovery, where it indeed related to the Federation.

Federation HQ destroyed in “Face the Strange”

While it’s possible that “Calypso” is a continuation of the alternate timeline established in “Face the Strange,” there are enough inconsistencies that we should consider some alternative scenarios.

THEORY 2: “Calypso” is Zora’s dream

One new piece of information we find out about Zora in “Face the Strange” is that she dreams. Her first line to Burnham is “Captain, is that you? Or is this another dream?” Although we’ve no idea when this started, it seems the years of isolation coupled with Zora’s continued development have led to her having dreams. Obviously, this isn’t unprecedented in Trek. Data eventually evolved to the stage where he could dream, so it follows that Zora can too.

Could the events of “Calypso” be Zora dreaming of some company after years of isolation? It’s certainly a possibility, and dream logic is a good way of explaining away the inconsistencies, such as the USS Discovery’s appearance and the whereabouts of the crew. “Calypso” was an atypical, sometimes surreal Star Trek story, and having it be a dream does make a degree of sense, with Zora its unreliable narrator.

Zora wonders if she is dreaming in “Face the Strange”

There could also be a clue in the music Zora’s listening to in “Face the Strange.” “Que Sera Sera” is a song about a girl asking her mother about the future and what will happen to her. Is this a hint that the Zora we see past this point is her guessing about her future?

One major argument against the dream theory is that “Calypso” isn’t Zora’s story, it’s Craft’s. It starts with him and follows his time on Discovery and his odd love story with Zora. The story is told from his viewpoint. The only time this switches to Zora’s point of view is at the very end when Craft leaves Discovery and the camera remains behind, revealing Zora has named his shuttlecraft “Funny Face” and then returning to the bridge where Zora is again playing the movie. Although possible, the majority of dreams are in the first person. It would be unusual to dream a story from someone else’s viewpoint where you’re a secondary character. Then again, Zora isn’t human. Who knows what AIs dream of. Electric sheep maybe?

Craft says goodbye to Zora in “Calypso”

THEORY 3: “Calypso” is still in the future and episodes aren’t linked

It’s also possible that beyond the aforementioned links, the timelines from “Calypso” and “Face the Strange” are not directly linked. Zora’s musical tastes and use of her “Zora Vision” POV is something that will evolve regardless and so the future seen in “Calypso” is still to come. To completely tie it into the canon, some explanation could be made for why the ship had to be de-retrofitted before being abandoned for the best part of 1,000 years. The Discovery team didn’t know season 5 would be their last, so tying up the “Calypso” loose end and directly linking to Discovery’s final fate probably wasn’t a part of the plan.

The Discovery crew faces their future at the end of “Face the Strange”

Whatever will be, will be

There is a nice poetry to the “dream” theory, so that is our preferred way to look at it. The most likely explanation is that we’re not supposed to know. “Calypso” is an intriguing (and, to be honest, beautifully told) look at the Discovery’s possible future. While it’s been hinted at in Discovery , the Short Treks episode probably works best as a fun “what if.” The sequence in “Face the Strange,” besides serving as a warning to Burnham and Rayner of the price of failure in their mission, also offered Sean Cochran and the show’s producers a fun tip of the hat to “Calypso” as well as offering an enigmatic hint as to its connection to Discovery .

From Short Treks “Calypso”

But what do you have to say? Let us know in the comments below

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definitely on the “Dream Team”, it’s the only one that makes sense

Is it just me or was there some exciting plan to jump forward where the Federation was so gone what was left had gone wrong and only the Discovery reunited with the crew could rekindle it, then they chickened out all “there is no way we can do a Trek show without mommy Starfleet Command there to help!!”

I definitely sense a tension along those lines. The beginning of s3 certainly seemed to point in that direction. They could’ve been Robin Hoods.

You’ve nailed the particular item about TREK that has frustrated me endlessly since the mid-80s. I never felt it had to be adventures set within Starfleet. After they went rogue in TSFS, I thought the crew should live out their golden years on the BoP/Bounty, and that the money production saved on matte shots and other earthcentric filler like spacedock could be put into showing some actual strange new worlds. Would also allow more time for the supporting cast and for a genuine ‘band of bros and sis’ feel among them. (and frankly, Starfleet didn’t deserve them after all the political paranoia evinced post-Genesis … suddenly this evolved future civilization is coming off contemporary, feeling more shadowy-Watergate than I could see as remotely credible.)

The key bit that informs my take on TREK comes from David Gerrold when he talked about how good drama revolves around ‘Kirk has a decision to make’ and not ‘Kirk is in danger.’ The original series buttressed that by often having the ship out on the rim where he couldn’t rely on timely responses from the hierarchy and had to make hard calls on his own. What better way to take that further than to have them on the Bounty, getting into situations and making ethical choices that DON’T have to cowtow to a distant and possibly unreliable bureaucracy?

I also though DS9 (which I really really like, far above any other followup to TOS), should have turned a corner with Sisko supporting the Maquis, not hunting them down like Starfleet’s pit bull. But again, that would have put them outside the auspices of ‘mommy Starfleet’ as you say.

I don’t know if I’d have stuck with DSC in s3 even if they had upheld this ANDROMEDA-style take on things, just because TPTB didn’t have the golden-platinum crutch of Anson Mount to keep the show going in spite of the bad writing. But I’d have probably at least considered watching it, just to see how they dealt with things.

I think that is the problem with Trek now… e instant communication and thousands of starships to back you up, and the adventures of your single starship on the frontier just don’t seem to matter as much. In TOS, Kirk makes the wrong decision and it’s intergalactic war and millions of lives on the line. In TNG the best episodes is where Picard is compromised by the Borg and they get to take over or destroy the starfleet. DS9 rectifies this by letting Sisko basically command the entire fleet (though it sure looks silly when space combat is lines of thousands of ships just running into thousands of other ships). I feel someone in Discovery was trying to fix the problem of being “out there” again (probably whoever put color into the big E bridge) and then got overruled (along with boring down of the big E bridge). Calypso basically hinted they would be left out there alone in some primitive starship. The fate of the entire Federation depending on their ability to rebuild alliances, rebuild ideals. You could explain the lack of far off magical tech by the fall. Instead they chickened out, I don’t know why, but it’s condemned Discovery to rather the rather bland where they literally have to have the Federation fall apart AGAIN to fix it. Anyone play Star Control 2? They need to make that into a TV show lol

kmart — I LOVE what you wrote here regarding the events post ST3:TSFS and really everything you said here. VERY insightful!

Thanks. As you come across my postings here, you’ll see I’m very big on exploring ‘treks not taken,’ including what they could have done with an Enterprise-B limited series.

Michael Chabon was the worst choice to write any Star Trek story. “Calypso” don’t fit in any possible way to canon.

Calypso was a great episode of Trek, and fairly beloved based on reviews at the time. Sorry it wasn’t for you!

“Calypso” is one of Star Trek’s best episodes, and it was written before later seasons of Discovery made it not fit canon.

Yeah, he’s terrible lol look at Picard Season 1? Embarrassingly bad.

He wrote the two best episodes of SHORT TREKS, “Calypso” and “Q&A.” He also did a great job with PICARD season one.

The first season of Picard was fantastic up until the two-part finale when it was (somehow) simultaneously drawn out and rushed. It felt like the original plan was for Picard to fully and truly die, but then either Stewart decided he wanted to continue with playing Picard, or TPTB intervened, but that was by far the biggest misstep in season 1.

Unfortunately, while season 1 was lauded by critics, it was mostly derided by fans. As such, subsequent seasons largely ignored some of the more intriguing idea introduced in season 1 – exploring the state of the Romulans post supernova (is the empire completely gone, are they trying to rebuild, etc.); exploring a bit more of the Zhat Vash (i.e. did it survive after the events of the finale) – but not too much more; what’s the general state of the Federation as it appears to have entered a bit of an isolationist state; and what’s up with the scary AI things as seen in the premonition and briefly in the season finale.

Alas, I highly doubt any of those ideas will be explored at this point.

Why does it need to fit into canon? It’s 1,000 years in the future.

Canon is overrated. Calypso was a lovely story and exactly what Trek should be doing.

I have very little confidence they’ll resolve this storyline between short treks & season 5. They would have explicitly made it apparent they were connecting to that short trek in that episode & not be so nuanced.

I’m imagining the extra shooting they did to make it a “fitting series finale” is along the lines of Poochie from the Simpsons…I have to go now, my planet needs me. [poochie died in space during his trip home].

I hope they never clearly explain it and leave a sense of mystery. “Calypso” was so lovely, partially because it wasn’t concerned with overly pat canon connections.

To this day I always wondered how this story came around? It seems weird it would be a coincidence Chabon set this story so far in the future a season before it happened on the show itself. But then you have to wonder if he was told directly the plan then what were the parameters? How far could he go with it? Did they always know it was something they would have to deal with and had a plan or was it all after the fact?

I would love if someone just talked about the short and how it came about? Maybe we get it after the show ends.

My guess is that Chabon et al. wanted to create a wild future possible story line for Discovery that was outside any continuity restraints or existing plans they had. Maybe Calypso served as a pilot for where Discovery eventually went with its future jump, even if the details were ultimately quite different.

As you note, maybe Chabon will someday do a commentary track on the story and reveal its origin. He was quite communicative about his work on Trek while he was doing it.

There’s also still the open question, who upgraded the probe that Pike and Tyler fought with

Wasn’t it just Control in the future?

I’m squarely in the camp that I just don’t care to see it explained in any way. Whatever plan Chabon had to tie in this flash forward was dropped a long time ago, and it will be nothing more than a shoehorn explanation, at best.. with no story payoff. Just let it be, and make up your own head canon if you want to.

Yep. I still wish Enterprise hadn’t felt it necessary to explain the Klingon foreheads.

I generally find a lot of these genre “and that’s why x has y” explanations pretty thin. I don’t need to see how Indiana Jones got his scar, how Nick Fury lost an eye or how McCoy got his nickname.

There’s something to be said about leaving some things to the imagination.

Small point to respond to but just gotta say – I actually kind of like the Enterprise explanation for the ridges. I just don’t think they needed to bend over backwards to explain it away. A simple dialogue exchange in a random episode would have been enough.

I loved Calypso and I am VERY OK with it having been Zora’s dream, or in-universe really happening in that alternate future with a few inconsistencies. I have a feeling (no idea) that this is all we will get regarding Calypso and I’m OK with that — not everything needs to be explained.

Calypso was one of the most beautiful, artful pieces of Trek ever made. I almost wish it had been expanded into some kind of standalone feature-length piece.

Agreed, it was beautiful!

Based on what happened in Season 2, Calypso was seemed to be a red herring for the crew abandoning the Discovery with the Sphere data, which allowed it to gain sentience. It was a possible future that was averted when they took the Discovery into the far future.

It was a lovely episode, but it really didn’t fit into continuity, both before and now.

For me, it makes more sense that “Calypso” be in the same time-line as season 2 if the Red Angel had not changed time by jumping into the 32nd century. No jump, no refit.

I was wondering what they’d do, as two of the other three first season Short Treks did, indeed, tie in.

But I always saw the thousand year reference, together with “V’draysh” being used in Season Three, as pointing to an abandoned option for Season Three- they jump forward, the crew temporarily abandons the ship, the Federation has gone bad (or is seen as having done so), Calypso happens, the crew returns, and we pick up from there.

There is a possibility that Zora de-evolved the ship during repairs as she became more senile after 100s of years of isolation and being alone. We’ve seen the DOTS repair and repaint many times. Maybe, with Zora’s confused directions, they repaired the ship to its earlier version. You’ve gotta love Star Trek! There are always possibilities.

Yeah the DOTs and programable matter means Zora could have refit Disco back to the earlier form as she got sentimental in her old age and Isolation. I just view it as, yes, it was an extension of the “bad future” seen in this episode.

I remember enjoying this short when it came out. It would probably be cool to leave it as-is, not explain anything at all. A mystery piece.

I agree, Calypso was an intriguing and beautifully told story.

If it’s all Zora’s dream—and the writers don’t bother to clue us in to that, a la Data getting a whole episode where it is made very clear that he is experimenting with dreaming—that’s super lazy writing . I’ll come back to this.

I could be fine with ‘What if?’ Trek stories that show us events in an unexplained, divergent timeline. I will point to Marvel’s animated What If? show as proof of the viability of this storytelling approach for a modern, expansive, TV & film franchise.

I have just one, big problem: the entirety of Star Trek as a franchise, to date.

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

Star Trek TV and movies haven’t historically done pure ‘What If?’ storytelling. In fact, Trek writers across the decades have worked hard to preserve the coherence of the ‘Prime’ timeline and any offshoots or variations we see.

Starting with Mirror, Mirror and all the way through Discovery’s adventures in the mirror universe, Trek TV writers have bent over backwards to help us understand what we were seeing, whenever we saw a divergent timeline.

For all the many time travel stories (and all of Janeway’s headaches caused by temporal paradoxes), the writers have always tried to connect the dots for us.

Even the Kelvin-verse movies spent precious screen time showing how that alternate timeline diverged from Trek ‘Prime.’ We got a passing-of-the-torch scene with two Spocks (Nimoy and Quinto) and so forth, to really make sure we understood.

This is important because as the audience, we want to enjoy time with these characters we love. When an incoherent storyline distracts us from going on the adventure with these beloved characters, we get frustrated. The plot can be twisty and momentarily confusing, but it ultimately exists to provide opportunities for Kirk, Sisko, Burnham, et al to face challenges, be heroic, and grow—not make us go, “well I’ve seen the whole show, and it just doesn’t make any sense.”

The so-called ‘beta canon’ of books, comics, fan-made productions, etc. is another animal, of course. There, anything goes. And it has to be this way because after so many hundreds of TV episodes and so many movies, it gets really hard for writers to keep it all connected. I think a fair argument could be made that there is now way too much canon to keep tying everything together perfectly and tell exciting, new stories with familiar characters. That’s fine for books and comics and whatnot. There you have the freedom to take our familiar characters and play with them in a new sandbox if you want to.

But the TV and movie writers have always given us exposition—and a fair amount of technobabble—at least attempting to preserve a unified chronology of the Star Trek universe. They didn’t alway succeed 100%, but we’ve never seen them just throw in the towel on trying to make it all make sense.

If Calypso ends up being an unexplained ‘What if?’ it would be a first for ‘alpha canon’ Trek, I think.

I don’t hate the idea of Star Trek doing this, but could the writers / producers maybe give us a heads-up that they’re going this way? Or do it with some consistency instead of a one-off Short Trek that leaves fans wondering and theorizing?

Back to Marvel’s What If? series—there at least you have The Watcher giving you some intro voiceover explaining what’s going on. You see Timmy, audiences like mystery and surprise, but also really appreciate it when you make things understandable .

My conclusion: in the context of Star Trek, this is just lazy writing and/or a willful disregard for the unwritten rules of logical storytelling that Trek has established with its fan base for decades. It seems especially lazy or careless since Face The Strange bothers to hint at some answers, but doesn’t actually give us any that make sense.

Granted, we still have a few Disco episodes to go. They might surprise us by revisiting this whole debacle and clearing things up, Trek-style. They’d have to jump through some hoops to reconcile the discrepancies, but we’ve seen plenty of crazy stories. It’s sci-fi, anything can happen. It was a chroniton explosion. Q’s son did it. Whatever.

Somehow, I doubt these writers care . Discovery has always been a show that prioritized ham-fisted emotionalism over logical storytelling. I think that will be its legacy. Prove me wrong, Discovery writers! Time is running out, and as far as I know there’s no alternative timeline in which you will get a season six to be entertaining and coherent.

Giant Freakin Robot

Star Trek's Most Underrated Show Almost Lost Its Best Character

Posted: April 24, 2024 | Last updated: April 24, 2024

Star Trek’s Most Underrated Show Almost Lost Its Best Character

Captain Kirk’s fight against the Gorn in The Original Series episode “Arena” transformed that alien into Star Trek’s most recognizable creature, which is why it’s so surprising we didn’t get any other major Gorn storylines until Strange New Worlds. As it turns out, there were plans among the Enterprise writers to make the Gorn more of a going concern by making them the villains in the episode that became “The Andorian Incident.” That might sound cool, but here’s the thing: if the writers had gone with this idea, we would likely have never gotten the fan-favorite Andorian character Shran.

The Andorian Incident Almost Looked Very Different

To help you understand why it would have been so bad if Enterprise replaced the Andorians with the Gorn in this episode, we need to revisit what “The Andorian Incident” was all about. The ep (which was directed by Star Trek: Voyager legend Roxann Dawson) featured the Enterprise crew visiting a Vulcan monastery, but Andorians led by Commander Shran quickly captured an away team. The Andorians are suspicious that the Vulcans are using this monastery to spy on their interstellar neighbor, and in an incredible plot twist, it turns out the Vulcans really are spying on the Andorians with a high-tech sensor array.

Since he is a man of honor, Archer (after getting dramatically rescued by his crew) lets Shran go with firm evidence of the Vulcan espionage. Shran, also a man of honor, tells Archer that he is now in the Starfleet captain’s debt. He soon pays that debt back in “The Shadows of P’Jem” by rescuing Archer, kicking off a bromance between the two characters that would last through the very end of the show.

Jeffrey Combs Greatest Star Trek Character

Had the Enterprise writers made the Gorn the villains of “The Andorian Incident” instead of the titular blue meanies, we might never have been introduced to Commander Shran. That would have done more than robbed us of a few cool stories; it would also have kept us from getting a Jeffrey Combs performance that many fans believe is his very best in the franchise. Fortunately, the Enterprise writers quickly gave up on the idea of using the Gorn for a hilariously simple reason.

Going back to their first appearance, the Gorn didn’t speak, at least not in any way that Starfleet could understand. That’s part of why Kirk had to go toe-to-claw with a Gorn captain so viciously in “Arena:” he really did try some Picard-style diplomacy with the creature, and they only began fighting because there was no real way to communicate. 

Considering how much the plot of the Enterprise episode “The Andorian Incident” relied on communication between Archer and Shran, the writers of the episode ditched the idea of using the Gorn because there was no canonical way for Archer (who had much less knowledge and much more primitive technology than Kirk) to talk to this alien creature. Another compelling reason they didn’t use the Gorn is because “Arena” makes it clear Kirk is the first officer to encounter one of these reptilian villains. Strange New Worlds would retcon this in a big way in “Memento Mori” while also revealing the Gorn do communicate, at least ship-to-ship, via light signals.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Use The Gorn Correctly

As a fan of both Enterprise and Strange New Worlds, I have mixed feelings about the abandoned idea of replacing the Gorn with the Andorians. Part of me wouldn’t trade Jeffrey Combs’ Shran character for the world, but part of me would love to have seen Captain Archer and crew fighting off some SNW-style Gorn. Still, these scaly scumbags eventually got their day in the sun by becoming the Big Bads of Strange New Worlds. 

It ultimately took over two decades since “The Andorian Incident” for the franchise to really focus on the Gorn again. As Enterprise fans might say, it’s been a long road, getting from there to here, for Star Trek’s most iconic alien.

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'Discovery's Elias Toufexis Could Be 'Star Trek's Next Jeffrey Combs

Toufexis and Eve Harlow breakdown their Breen backstory and call the 'Discovery' set the best they've ever worked on.

The Big Picture

• Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5, "Mirrors," delves into Moll and L'ak's backstory, revealing their love and the price on their heads.
• Stars Eve Harlow and Elias Toufexis discuss fleshing out their romance, joining the sci-fi series for its final season, and L'ak's connection to the Breen.
• The duo also praises the Star Trek: Discovery cast and crew for the warm and welcoming atmosphere, with Sonequa Martin-Green leading the way as a fantastic number one.

A few weeks ago, Star Trek: Discovery kicked off the series' final season with a dazzling new mystery and a pair of wildly compelling antagonists. Seemingly out to cash in on the greatest treasure the galaxy has to offer, lovers Moll ( Eve Harlow ) and L'ak ( Elias Toufexis ) have been neck-and-neck with Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) and her crew as they hunt for clues . This week's episode "Mirrors," sees Burnham catch up with the two as she and Book ( David Ajala ) corner them on an abandoned ISS Enterprise from the Mirror universe.

As the two couples are made to face each other, we also get a glimpse into Moll and L'ak's backstory. Not only do we learn how they fell in love, but we also come to understand why they're on the run — L'ak is a Breen and in their attempt to run away together the duo killed a pair of guards. Now the warlike race has a price on their heads.

Ahead of the episode, I sat down with Harlow and Toufexis to talk about the big reveals in "Mirrors," the complex relationship between their characters, and what they're taking away from their time on Discovery . During our conversation, we also spoke about their personal experiences with Star Trek , when Toufexis learned he would be playing a Breen, and which episodes of Season 5 are their favorites.

Star Trek: Discovery

Taking place almost a decade before Captain Kirk's Enterprise, the USS Discovery charts a course to uncover new worlds and life forms.

Both Harlow and Toufexis have a fair share of sci-fi credits to their names with Harlow having made waves on shows like The 100 and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. while Toufexis appeared in the smash hit series The Expanse as well as having voiced characters in a truly impressive number of video games. When asked what it was like to go from their sci-fi roots to arguably the biggest sci-fi series of all time, Harlow admitted that she'd actually "never seen Star Trek before." She went on to explain, "to me, I was like, 'Oh, cool, another job. Oh, cool, I get to be in space!'"

Meanwhile, Toufexis was a huge Star Trek fan. "And Elias was like, 'No, you don't understand. This is Star Trek .' Even in the sides for the audition, I remember the word “Klingon” being in there, and I'm like, “Wait, how do I pronounce this? What is this?” And on set it was like, “What's a Tribbler?” Harlow joked. "Then Elias was like, 'Okay, let me send you a YouTube video.' So I think for me it was just like, 'Oh, cool. This is fun. This is nice,' and then being told the importance of it by my co-star," she laughed.

For Toufexis, the role was a dream come true. He explained:

"It was great for me. I love sci-fi, and I was happy to do a lot of sci-fi before Star Trek, but yeah, I'm a giant Star Trek fan. Accepting the role was a no-brainer, and I was very, very happy and geeked out every day on set. I would get mad at people who worked on the show who didn't know the stuff that I knew. Not Eve. I would never get mad at Eve."

As actors, both Harlow and Toufexis know the struggle of auditioning over and over for until something sticks. He said, "as an actor, you audition for everything, and you take what sticks, right? That's the nature of the beast." He went on, calling Discovery a career highlight. "So it just happened to be that I have done a lot of sci-fi stuff in my career, so Star Trek is kind of the peak sci-fi . So, it's all downhill from here," he laughed. However, as any good Star Trek fan knows, playing one character is not always the end of the line for an actor in the series. I joked that Toufexis could return on another series in the future, following in the footsteps of actors like Jeffrey Combs and Suzie Plakson , to which he heartily agreed, "I'll play, like, 10 characters."

'Star Trek: Discovery's Moll and L'ak Are Hopelessly Devoted to Each Other

Shortly after we meet these two in the first episode of Season 5 , it becomes very clear that L'ak would do anything to protect Moll, to the point of taking out excessive violence on anyone who threatens her. When asked if that defensive nature was a result of their nature or inherent in them as individuals Toufexis explained, "I think it's inherent in them, but they bring it out of each other. It's a part of their character."

He went on to explain that L'ak was already looking for a way out of his life as a high-ranking Breen when he fell in love with Moll. He said, "I don't know if he was looking for love, but he found it, and then that brought out the guardian in him." He went on to say that one thing he loved about the fifth episode is that, in learning their history, we see that Moll and L'ak are more equals than it seemed in the first four episodes.

"It looks like he's almost her bodyguard, but when they're alone, you see it's not really the case. They're on absolutely equal footing, and he defers to her a lot. He's just protective of her, but she is of him, and that's their love." He went on to explain, " My favorite thing about these characters is their love for each other. It's rare in sci-fi that you have antagonists that have a genuinely good reason to do what they're doing, that I think people would relate to their love and passion for each other and freedom. That's it. We're not bad guys. We just want you to leave us the hell alone." He points out that in this episode, Moll admits they never would have made an enemy out of the Discovery crew if they'd just been left alone, "But you keep on us, and we’re gonna defend ourselves.”

Meanwhile, Harlow explained that the complete devotion Moll and L'ak have for each other is what makes them relatable. She said:

"I do think it's inherent to their nature, and I think that that's what makes them likable, is that there's the love and loyalty there, and they're the first beings in each other's lives that have been, like, he's proven to me that he's worth the love, he's worth the loyalty. Literally, everybody else has either died or betrayed, left. All that stuff. This one being has shown me that it's like, 'No, this is actually where I can store my loyalty, love in this being, and I'm gonna hold on to this being no matter what.' "

With this episode being called "Mirrors," not only for the time spent on a Mirror Universe ship, but for the relationships within, as Moll and L'ak serve as a foil to Book and Burnham. I asked the pair if they felt like their characters recognized themselves in their counterparts. For Toufexis, Book and Burnham are barely even on his radar. He said, "At least as an actor, I never even considered that. I was just like, 'Nah, I don't care about them.' He's very one-track-minded." He then laid out L'ak's priorities, saying:

"At least for me, the way I played it was, 'I just want Moll, and I want you to leave us alone. And if this tech, whatever it is that we may not understand, or even if they understand its power, whatever this tech is, if it could grant us freedom and to be left alone and to just go live our lives in love together, that's all that matters.' So I don't think they're looking and going, 'Oh, they're a lot like us, those two.'"

Meanwhile, Harlow agreed, comparing their characters to "caged animals." She said: "Everyone else are [our] oppressors, and so I don't care what's happening out there. I don't care how similar it is, because ultimately they have the key to the door to freedom, and they're holding here. It’s like, 'Fuck yeah!'"

Elias Toufexis Learned He Was Playing a Breen While Getting His Prosthetics for 'Star Trek: Discovery'

While the Breen have existed since the 90s, having first appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , we know very little about their species. Most notably, we don't know what they look like under their helmets — at least we didn't until this episode. As a fan of the franchise, I had to ask Toufexis if he knew he would be playing a Breen when he first got the role or if he found out when he read the script. He revealed that he actually found out while getting his prosthetics made. But before telling the full story of how he found out L'ak was a Breen, Toufexis took a brief detour to joke about another vast disparity between his Star Trek experience and Harlow's.

He said: "This is a funny story we haven’t told yet. When I auditioned, I knew I was gonna be in makeup because I had already been on the show in the third episode. I played one of the prisoners that's on the show, on Discovery , so I knew I couldn't play with my own face again. I knew I'd be in prosthetics. And I remember, this is like a side thing, but I remember calling Eve and talking about working together, and I said, 'So what's your makeup process?' She's like, 'I don't have any makeup. I don’t have any prosthetics.' 'What? You mean I have to go through five hours of hair and makeup…?'" Harlow chimed in confirming the call, "You were like, 'No, no, no, like prosthetics.' I’m like, 'Yeah, no. Nothing.' And he's like, 'Wait, are you sure?' [Laughs] I’m like, 'I don’t know how to break it to you, but no.'"

He joked that he was "hoping we were both gonna have 2:30 a.m. calls and all that kind of stuff," before diving into how he learned he'd be playing a Breen. He explained:

"But when I found out that he was a Breen was when I went to do the first step of the prosthetics. Being a giant Star Trek geek, I said, 'Can you show me what I'm gonna look like?' Because they’re doing that thing, the plaster mold, where you have to sit there in 20 minutes and try not to have a panic attack. But at that session, I said, 'Do you have any art of what he's gonna look like?' And they showed me, and I said, 'Do you know what race he is?' Because I think I had heard that he was a new race, or an unseen race, or something like that. And they said, 'Yeah, he's a Breen.' I was like, 'Wait, Breen? They don’t take off their helmets.' My geek mind starts going. Then they're like, 'Yeah, you're gonna be the first time that this race is revealed in Star Trek,' and that really got me going. I was like, 'Oh, okay! Let's plaster me up. Let's do this.' And somehow I got through it. But yeah, I was really excited to find that out. Especially [because] Deep Space Nine to me is, like, I love Deep Space Nine . I know the Breen they talk about in TNG a little bit, but Deep Space Nine to me is, like, one of my favorite shows ever, not just Star Treks shows. So, the fact that I was gonna be involved in that. We kind of delve into Deep Space Nine , so I was super happy."

Moll and L'ak Aren't Villains — They're Just Antagonists

In "Mirrors," Moll and L'ak become much more fleshed-out characters as we get a glimpse into their history with each other. Much like the revelation with the Breen, I had to ask Harlow and Toufexis if they had made up any backstory for their characters prior to learning the roots of their love story when they got the script for this episode. Harlow explained that they really only fleshed out the basics like how long they'd been together. She pointed out that sometimes if you make up a backstory for your character it can get entirely undone by the narrative. She said: "The thing is, you could create a backstory, and then you get the next episode and it’s like, 'Ha, joke’s on you. Totally wrong. Everything that we thought…' So, at least this is the way that I work, it's like, 'Okay, what are the stakes? This person is my everything.' That’s just how I’m gonna play it. "

"In terms of the flashback, I mean, it was fun," she grinned. "This might sound really vain, but looks-wise, what did she look like back then? I’ve just got to shout out to the hair and makeup and costume team. Freaking amazing. Such talented people, and also so collaborative, and talking about all this, and being excited about it as well. I think this is what was really cool about the show. Literally every single person is so excited about what they do. Like the props people, they're like, 'This is so awesome,' and then you're like, 'Yes! This is so awesome.'"

Despite not being a Star Trek fan before joining the franchise, Harlow explained that she couldn't help but fall in love with the whole team. "So even though, again, I did not know Star Trek , you can't help it. It's infectious when you're surrounded by that energy, and so it's like, 'Oh, cool. We get to explore our characters’ backgrounds and be in this Breen world.'" She went on to say, "seeing the sets is insane. That screen, the wall, is incredible. You step into the space and you're like, 'Whoa, people created all of this and I get to be a part of it? Incredible.'"

Toufexis was thrilled to get an episode so heavily dedicated to Moll and L'ak's motivations. Having played his fair share of TV baddies , he noted that this is the first time he's gotten to play out the why of what his character is doing himself. He told me:

"The backstory was the best part for me because, I've said this before, but I play a lot of bad guys on TV, and very often it's other characters that are just explaining why my character is doing what he's doing, or make a line thrown here or there, like this is what happened to me, so this is why I'm doing this. Whereas with L’ak, I got to play it. I got to go back and play how he got to where he is, and the great thing is it's justified. What I hope is that the people who watch Episode 5, when they rewatch, they go, 'Oh, yeah, everything they're doing they have a right to do. They're not bad. They're just the antagonists.' I don't mind if they call us villains for promotional purposes, but I’m kind of like, 'They're not villains.'"

Harlow chimed in saying, "They have hearts of gold, okay?" To which Toufexis doubled down on Moll and L'ak's desire to just be left alone.

Eve Harlow and Elias Toufexis Reveal Their Favorite Episodes of 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5

Again, as a pair of Trekkies, I had to ask Toufexis about the incredible experience of getting to actually spend time on the bridge of the Enterprise in this episode. Naturally, he was delighted. He told Collider:

"Well, you can imagine. I've already said I'm a super nerd. And also, The Original Series , that's what I watched growing up . I'm not that old, my dad had them all on tape — so I'm old, but I'm not that old. My dad had them all on tape in the ‘90s, so I watched them over and over and over again, and the movies, especially. So, for me, that was my introduction to Star Trek was the Kirk Enterprise, right? Even though I know this is not the Kirk Enterprise, but Kirk's on it. So being on that ship, I know story-wise it was the ISS Enterprise, but I'm still like, 'This is the Enterprise. I don't care what decals they put over this. I'm sitting on the Enterprise.' I went and took secret pictures of me on the bridge and stuff like that. I was just freaking out, man. I was like, 'This is like the coolest thing.' How can you not freak out being a fan of something and then suddenly getting paid to be there? It's pretty cool."

While she didn't have any personal connection to the sets herself, Harlow understood the importance through Toufexis' experience. "I had him explain all this to me," she laughed. "It's like this is my very own Star Trek Wikipedia sitting next to me. I'm like, 'Okay, cool, noted. Thank you.'"

When asked what their favorite episodes of Discovery Season 5 were, Toufexis decidedly chose the one we all just watched. "Five for me, for sure," he said, though he was sure to give some praise to the rest of the season as well. "There's a couple of episodes coming up that are really good, too, but for me, it's five because of that, the background and getting to play the background. It's kind of their big episode that reveals everything about her. So for me, it's five. " Meanwhile, Harlow set her sights on the series finale, saying, "I forget which episode it is, but it's later, it's either Episode 9 or 10, and I don't think I can say anything. I'm not gonna say anything, but yes, there is one I like."

The 'Star Trek: Discovery' Set Is Unlike Any Other Thanks to Sonequa Martin-Green

While this is Harlow and Toufexis' first season of Discovery, it's also the show's last. As I noted in my review, despite the writers not knowing Season 5 was the end, they somehow managed to bring the story to a full circle moment. And Toufexis felt the exact same way, he said, "You know what, I was just thinking about this morning. I was thinking about how it's somehow in this weird… The TV gods… Because the episodes that were already written before they knew it was gonna be the last season have this feeling of closure in this weird way, right?" He went on to explain, " Like Episode 4, where they go back and see themselves in the past. That is something that you would do when you would be ending a show, or Doug [Jones], Saru, going off and having these new chapters. That's something you would do when you would end the show. So, it’s this weird kind of thing that happened where it almost was fate that it was going to be the last season . I don't know if that is a sad note or something, but it just worked so well."

"So what I hope people take out of it is just this great feeling of closure of this amazing five years that these people have done. I mean, I'm a fan of the show and I've watched every episode. You're sad that it's ending but at the same time it's ending so well that you just kind of hope everybody just really enjoys the ride of this last season and then looks at everything as five years of what this show actually accomplished, which if you step back and look at it is a lot."

While Harlow admitted that she hadn't "thought about it that deeply, but ultimately I just want people to like it." She had nothing but high praise for series star Sonequa Martin-Green , saying: "The first thing, I stepped on set and everyone, Sonequa was so kind and so welcoming. Every single person on that set was wonderful , and one of the first things that I was told was, 'Welcome to the family.' I just want people to like it, to deserve that title of being in the family, if that makes sense."

For these two, working on Discovery was unlike any other set they'd ever worked on. "I would like to piggyback off of that," said Toufexis. "Eve has worked a lot, I’ve worked a lot, and this is one of the best sets you could work on. From Sonequa and down to the crew, to Michelle [Paradise] and Tunde [Osunsanmi], and all those guys, Alex Kurtzman. You just end up going like, 'All these people are nice.'"

The vibes on set were amazing from the start, to the point that Harlow could hardly believe it to be true, certain that at some point the magic would wear off. However, the warm, familiar atmosphere never faded. She explained:

"When I started, I was like, 'There is no way that this lasts for six months. There's no way.' Because people get stressed. It's just like being on sets — it's chaotic, there’s so many people. And, oh my god, until the very end people were so kind. I feel like a fangirl when I talk about it, and I feel like I've talked about it so much, but it's just because it's lasted, and it just shows what a set can be like. We had this thing, crew appreciation, which is like every single day, a different crew member would be clapped for, and throughout the day, if you saw this crewmember, you could just start clapping for them. So that means that by the time we finished filming, everybody knows everybody's names and what they do and has an appreciation for everybody's job. I've never seen that on any set. And it didn't get in the way of us finishing days. I know that some people are like, 'Oh, it takes time to do this care and appreciation.' Yes, it takes time. It’s, like, 30 seconds, and it lifts everybody's spirits. Anyway, yeah, it's great."

Toufexis confirmed that the source of those good vibes without a doubt comes back to their fearless leader. "It's Sonequa’s set," he said. "Sonequa was the number one, and she's the best number one I've ever worked with. Hands down. Just [the best] of the whole show. She's amazing. I could never say enough good about Sonequa." And Harlow couldn't help but agree: "Every single time I see her, I’m like, 'Sonequa, I love you so much!' I know I'm gushing again for the 50th time, but yes."

"Mirrors" is available to stream now on Paramount+ . New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery hit the platform every Thursday. Stay tuned at Collider for more.

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The long lost original model of the USS Enterprise has been returned

The model, in the opening credits of Star Trek , had been missing since the 1970s. It popped up on eBay last fall. The seller helped facilitate its return to the family of the creator of Star Trek .

(SOUNDBITE OF ALEXANDER COURAGE'S "THEME FROM STAR TREK")

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Leila Fadel.

The long-lost original model of the USS Enterprise, the one that could be seen in the opening credits of the TV show "Star Trek," has been returned. Missing since the 1970s, the model popped up on eBay last fall. The seller eventually took down the item and helped facilitate its return to Rod Roddenberry, the son of the late "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry, the son, says he now hopes to get the model into a museum for the public to enjoy.

It's MORNING EDITION.

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Original ‘Star Trek’ Enterprise Model Is Found After Being Missing for Decades

The 33-inch model surfaced on eBay after disappearing around 1979. An auction house is giving it to the son of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of “Star Trek.”

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By Emily Schmall

The first model of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the starship that appeared in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series , has been returned to Eugene Roddenberry Jr., the son of the creator of the series, decades after it went missing.

“After a long journey, she’s home,” Mr. Roddenberry wrote on social media on Thursday.

For die-hard Trekkies, the model’s disappearance had become the subject of folklore, so an eBay listing last fall, with a starting bid of $1,000, didn’t go unnoticed.

“Red alert,” someone in an online costume and prop-making forum wrote, linking to the listing.

Mr. Roddenberry’s father, Gene Roddenberry, created the television series, which first aired in 1966 and ran for three seasons. It spawned numerous spinoffs, several films and a franchise that has included conventions and legions of devoted fans with an avid interest in memorabilia.

The seller of the model was bombarded with inquiries and quickly took the listing down.

The seller contacted Heritage Auctions to authenticate it, the auction house’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said on Saturday. As soon as the seller, who said he had found it in a storage unit, brought it to the auction house’s office in Beverly Hills, Calif., Mr. Maddalena said he knew it was real.

“That’s when I reached out to Rod to say, ‘We’ve got this. This is it,’” he said, adding that the model was being transferred to Mr. Roddenberry.

Mr. Roddenberry, who is known as Rod, said on Saturday that he would restore the model and seek to have it displayed in a museum or other institution. He said reclaiming the item had only piqued his interest in the circumstances about its disappearance.

“Whoever borrowed it or misplaced it or lost it, something happened somewhere,” he said. “Where’s it been?”

It was unclear how the model ended up in the storage unit and who had it before its discovery.

The original U.S.S. Enterprise, a 33-inch model, was mostly made of solid wood by Richard C. Datin, a model maker for the Howard Anderson Company, a special-effects company that created the opening credits for some of the 20th century’s biggest TV shows .

An enlarged 11-foot model was used in subsequent “Star Trek” television episodes, and is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum , where it was donated by Paramount Studios in 1974.

Mr. Roddenberry, who said he gave the seller a “reward” for its recovery but did not disclose the terms, assembled a group of “Star Trek” production veterans, model makers and restoration specialists in Beverly Hills to authenticate the find.

The group included a “Star Trek” art supervisor, Michael Okuda, and his wife, Denise, an artist on “Star Trek” television series and films, and Gary Kerr, a “Trek x-pert” who served as technical consultant for the Smithsonian during a 2016 restoration of the 11-foot model.

“We spent at least an hour photographing it, inspecting the paint, inspecting the dirt, looking under the base, the patina on the stem, the grain in the wood,” Mr. Roddenberry said.

“It was a unanimous ‘This is 100 percent the one,’” he said.

Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991 , kept the original model, which appeared in the show’s opening credits and pilot episode, on his desk.

Mr. Kerr compared the model to 1960s photos he had of the model on Mr. Roddenberry’s desk.

“The wood grain matched exactly, so that was it,” he said on Saturday.

The model went missing after Mr. Roddenberry lent it to the makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979, Mr. Maddalena said.

“This is a major discovery,” he said, likening the model to the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” a prop that was stolen in 2005 and recovered by the F.B.I. in 2018, and that Heritage Auctions is selling.

While the slippers represent hope, he said, the starship Enterprise model “represents dreams.”

“It’s a portal to what could be,” he said.

Emily Schmall covers breaking news and feature stories and is based in Chicago. More about Emily Schmall

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