klingons star trek enterprise

Star Trek's Different Klingon Designs, Explained

The Klingons have been part of every iteration of Star Trek since 1966, but the iconic aliens have had a variety of character designs over the years.

• Star Trek: The Original Series introduced Klingons and created the franchise's most iconic aliens.
• The Klingons were redesigned for The Motion Picture and The Next Generation -era series.
• The rebooted Star Trek films and Discovery redesigned them further, but Strange New Worlds walked those changes back.

The Star Trek saga spans six decades and over 800 hours of storytelling on television and in film. While the universe created by Gene Roddenberry is vast and dynamic, the Klingons have appeared in every iteration of the franchise. Yet, since their debut in Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966, the Klingons' character design has changed over time. From regular humans with brown makeup and stylized facial hair to the intricate alien prosthetics on the characters in Star Trek: Discovery , there's more than one way to skin a Klingon.

Save for the odd standout like Khan Noonien Singh , heroes and starships are more important in Star Trek than its many villains . Instead, the alien antagonists that menace Starfleet explorers are mostly known by their species, like Romulans or the Borg. This is true of Klingons, which are immediately recognizable, though casual fans may not know General Chang from T'Kuvma. It wasn't until the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Klingon bridge officer Worf that the franchise truly started to examine the culture of this war-like race. Thanks to his appearances in both Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Picard Season 3 , Worf has appeared in more Star Trek episodes than any other character. He also laid the foundation for storytellers to create an in-narrative reason for the disparity in Klingon appearance. In the real world, the simple answer for the many different Klingon character designs comes down to money and technology.

RELATED: How Strange New Worlds Perfected a Star Trek: The Next Generation Premise

The Klingons in Star Trek: The Original Series Were Simple on Purpose

The Klingons were, effectively, created by Gene L. Coon, often called " Star Trek 's other Gene." He conceived of the characters as an allegory for the Soviet Union, according to the special features on the DVDs for Star Trek: TOS . Intended to be just one-off antagonists for the Season 1 episode, "Errand of Mercy," writer David Gerrold brought them back for Season 2's classic "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode. Crafting that story made the producers realize the Klingons could be the ongoing antagonist for Captain Kirk and the USS Enterprise crew they'd been looking for.

Despite being an expensive series, Star Trek: TOS was always struggling with budget and time. Makeup supervisor Fred Phillips worked with actor John Colicos to design the characters' look. However, outside of raised eyebrows -- similar to both Vulcans and Romulans -- and stylized facial hair, the Klingons were mostly defined by their glittery uniforms with a gold sash. The makeup process for The Original Series -era Klingons often took less time than even affixing Spock's Vulcan ears each day. The character design for early Klingons was simple and effective for TV, but that soon changed.

RELATED: Deep Space Nine Made Star Trek a 'Real' Franchise

The Klingons Look From Star Trek: The Motion Picture Through The Next Generation Era

Nearly a decade after The Original Series went off-the-air, Star Trek: The Motion Picture debuted and introduced fans to a new kind of Klingons. With significantly more budget and time to work with -- the Klingons appeared in only a single scene -- Fred Phillips wanted to make the aliens truly alien. The production of the first Star Trek film was fraught, so if Gene Roddenberry had any objections to changing the Klingon character design, he had bigger battles to fight. The Klingons appeared in each successive film save for The Wrath of Khan , and while their appearance was altered slightly, they maintained the same look.

However, it wasn't until Worf was added to The Next Generation cast that Roddenberry and the writers really began to think of them as a people rather than allegorical Soviets. Now that a Klingon was a hero character, he felt it was an injustice to the characters to reduce them to just being a warrior race. "I take the fact of their fictional existence very seriously," he said in the Star Trek 25th anniversary issue of Cinefantastique . In an interview in the special features of Star Trek: TNG 's first season, actor Michael Dorn noted that Black actors were routinely cast as Klingons to simply save time in the makeup chair. Over the next 18 years, makeup supervisor Michael Westmore had to create dozens of distinct Klingon characters.

In Enterprise Season 4 , the writers addressed the incongruity of the Klingon appearance in Star Trek: TOS with the second-wave era. A storyline was introduced about a genetic modification experiment that went awry. In order to cure a deadly, multi-species virus, Klingons were given a treatment that "smoothed over" the cranial ridges and teeth added to the design to make them look more alien. Yet, even the Klingons not affected by this mutation still looked more human than not. When former Star Trek: Voyager producer Bryan Fuller wanted to redesign them for Star Trek: Discovery , making them more alien was the goal.

RELATED: Star Trek: Humanity Was a Vulcan Pet Project for Centuries

The Design for Klingons in Star Trek: Discovery Was Very Controversial

During episodes of the now-defunct After Trek webseries during Star Trek: Discovery 's first season , the Klingon redesign was an often-discussed topic. The cranial ridges and teeth Fred Phillips added during the first redesign were extended to seemingly cover their entire body. They were given longer, clawed fingers and evolutionary characteristics that were more avian or reptilian than humanoid. The hope was to make the Klingons even more alien and frightening, but the design change proved to be a bit too drastic. By Season 2, the makeup artists gave them hair again. They also introduced a number of different skin tones beyond just brown.

Yet, by Strange New Worlds Season 2, the Klingons looked more like they did during the second-wave era. Unlike Enterprise , there was no in-narrative reason or the different look. The Klingon Empire is an interstellar society with hundreds of billions of citizens. Fans can easily explain away the difference as Star Trek 's continued commitment to Roddenberry's motto of infinite diversity in infinite combinations. Klingons are also able to reproduce with other Star Trek species, which could equally explain the difference.

In both cases, the redesign of the Klingons was meant to highlight their alien nature and take advantage of state-of-the-art makeup and prosthetics. The Discovery design may have been too successful, and franchise producers seem to have reverted the iconic antagonists to their Star Trek: TNG -era design . Still, no matter what they look like, Klingons are integral to Star Trek . They are enemies who became allies, which is the lesson Roddenberry always wanted his show to teach humanity.

• The Inventory

Everything You Need to Know About the Klingons, Star Trek 's Ever-Changing Space Warriors

Klingons are one of the most iconic Star Trek alien races. In 51 years they’ve evolved from deceptive villains to honorable allies—and now, with the arrival of Star Trek: Discovery this week, they’re becoming spiritual warriors once again, at odds with our heroes. Here’s everything you need to know about the past, present, and future of Qo’noS’s finest.

From Enemy, to Ally, to Enemy

Klingons have been one of the most persistent elements of Star Trek . They made their debut on the very first season of the original show, and have since appeared on every spinoff series, including Discovery —and in most of the Trek movies, as well.

The Klingons first met by Kirk and his crew in “Errand of Mercy” back in 1967 were very different from the Klingons we know today, both in their physical appearance and in their characterization. Intended as a Soviet parallel to the Federation’s US, the original Klingons were treated as inferior to the Federation’s ideals in every manner. The Klingons were a crafty, savage, and warmongering race, morally corrupt and willing to do anything to get their way—especially if it meant getting the upper hand against the Federation, their long-time rivals in an interstellar cold war.

That nature uncomfortably played into their appearance as well. The original Klingons were given an incredibly Orientalist aesthetic, with white actors having their faces darkened with makeup to appear more alien, plus accented eyebrows highlighted with shoe polish and matching thin mustaches. To the modern eye, the look of original Klingons is deeply problematic, but at the time, it was a huge budget saver; one of the primary reasons the Klingons became such major recurring villains in the original series was that their makeup costs were much lower compared to the prosthetics needed for the Romulans.

After the Star Trek TV series came to an end, then found itself revived as a movie series in the ‘70s, there was finally a budget to make the Klingons appear truly alien—and with it came a complete overhaul of the race that changed their place in the franchise. Their new makeup work gave the Klingons long, flowing hair, sharpened teeth, and distinctive forehead ridges (more on those later), but Klingon culture was given an even greater shake-up. A new language was introduced to further emphasize the differences between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, and, taking inspiration from feudal Japan, Klingons became a species that valued honor above all else, holding strictly defined traditions around the art of war that formed the cornerstones of Klingon society.

Although original Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was hesitant to bring back old aliens when Star Trek returned to TV with The Next Generation , set a century after the original show, the Klingons ultimately became a fundamental part of the series in the form of Michael Dorn’s Worf, a Klingon member of Starfleet and one of the show’s primary characters. Representing a time period when the relationship between the Federation and the Klingon Empire had become relatively amicable, Worf became a lens for the audience to discover the new culture behind the Klingons first hinted at in the movies, examining both their dedication to martial prowess (with the introduction of iconic elements like the Bat’leth, the curved Klingon blade) and their spiritual side. Gone were the savages of the original series, instead replaced by a principled society of honorable warriors.

By the time of Voyager and Deep Space Nine (the furthest we’ve been into Star Trek ’s timeline on TV) the Klingons had become heroes. After a brief period of hostility the Klingons became crucial allies for the crew of Deep Space Nine and the Federation at large in DS9 's seasons-long war with the Dominion, while Voyager examined prejudices and acceptance of the Klingons within Starfleet through B’Elanna Torres, a half-human, half-Klingon engineer troubled by the pull between her two very different cultures.

Discovery , set a decade before the original show, mixes up the Star Trek timeline a bit. The Klingons are the primary antagonists of the series, with the Federation openly at war with them. However, the show portrays the Klingons as fans have come to know them:  as an honorable warrior race —right down to the forehead ridges. Speaking of which...

The Fall and Rise of the Klingon Forehead

How the Klingons grew from the mustachioed, smooth-headed humanoids of the original series to the ridged aliens of The Original Motion Picture and beyond has been a canonical puzzle Star Trek fans have theorized and debate about for decades. There was never a reason provided for the difference in either the movies or The Next Generation —it was simply declared that these new aliens were still Klingons and that was that.

For years, the closest the series ever got to acknowledging the change was a one-off joke in the special Deep Space Nine anniversary episode “Trials and Tribble-ations,” which saw the crew sent back into the past to the events of the original series episode “The Trouble with Tribbles.” When asked by his colleagues why the Klingons of Kirk’s time looked so different to the Klingons they know of in the 24th century, Worf offers a brief but stern rebuttal: Klingons don’t talk about it with non-Klingons.

Fans finally got an explanation for the disparity between the two kinds of Klingons nearly 40 years after their first appearance thanks to Star Trek: Enterprise , which was set in the years before the formation of the Federation. A two-part story in the show’s fourth season revealed that Klingons have actually always had forehead ridges, but a virus accidentally unleashed on the Klingon homeworld when scientists tried to augment Klingons with human DNA caused victims to develop human physical characteristics, including smooth foreheads. A treatment for the virus was developed by Enterprise ’s resident medic, Dr. Phlox, but the physician theorized that it would take generations for Klingon children to be born with ridged foreheads again.

It remains to be seen whether Discovery , which features pre-original series Klingons with forehead ridges, will have something to say about the bizarre evolution of the feature, given its place in Star Trek ’s timeline. But we do know that the series will provide a biological reason for the ridges : they’re covered in extra-sensory receptors, to help Klingons detect and hunt their prey.

The Long Road to Sto’Vo’Kor

Although Klingons have been established as a warrior race from the beginning (honorable or otherwise), one major element of Klingon culture introduced in their post-original Trek appearances is an emphasis on spirituality, borrowing elements from familiar mythological cultures in our own past to turn the Klingons into quasi-warrior monks. The honor-bound nature of the Klingons has led to many instances of their culture clashing with that of the Federation through a love of rituals and remembrances, especially around the act of honoring the dead.

In the Klingon belief system, the body after death is an empty shell. The soul of a fallen Klingon goes to one of two places. If they lived an honorable life and fell in battle, they go to Sto’Vo’Kor, which is pretty much Klingon Valhalla, a heavenly plane of battles and feasting. If they were dishonored or didn’t die fighting, they go to Grethor, a fiery hellscape where their souls suffer for eternity—after the prerequisite journey on a barge through a river of death to Grethor’s gates, of course. Relatives of the deceased can perform honorable acts in their own lives to ensure their fallen relative’s soul goes to Sto’Vo’kor if they didn’t die in battle—which, in some cases, can include offering their own soul for torture in Grethor in their place, as B’Elanna attempted to do for her mother in the Voyager episode “ Barge of the Dead .”

Aside from their ritualized beliefs and honor codes, Klingon spirituality includes no gods, as legendary warriors killed them thousands of years ago. There is one important figure in Klingon religion, though: Kahless, who was the first ruler of the Klingon Empire and established its honor code. Weirdly enough, by the time of The Next Generation and beyond, the Empire was once again led by Kahless... except this time it was a lab-grown clone of the original, a slightly less intimidating figure and more of a figurehead for Klingon society than an actual ruler.

Talking Klingon

As Star Trek ’s portrayal of Klingon culture developed, so did the need to make the race feel alien beyond the makeup-drenched actors of the original show—and part of that was the development of a whole new language for Klingons to speak in. Originally devised by Scotty himself, James Doohan, and Motion Picture producer Jon Povill as part of the film’s wide-scale re-imagining of the Klingons, the Klingon language (sometimes referred to as Klingonese) as we know it today was really developed during the making of The Search for Spock by Dr. Marc Okrand.

Okrand expanded the handful of words created during The Motion Picture into a fully constructed language, and in 1985, he published The Klingon Dictionary. Originally intended as source material for writers and actors, the dictionary expanded on Klingon grammar, such as its unconventional object-verb-subject form. It also gave Klingon phrases for everything as menial as “Happy Birthday” (qoSlIj DatIvjaj) to insulting someone’s mother with the smoothness of their forehead (Hab SoSlI’ Quch!)

Okrand’s work on the Klingon language flourished, not just because of his own additions to it as Star Trek continued, but through the works of fans. Shortly after The Klingon Dictionary ’s release, fans started to learn and teach the rules Okrand had laid down, and groups like t he Klingon Language Institute started forming in the early ‘90s to study the entirely fictional language. In the years since, translations of famous texts have been made available in Klingon—from Bible passages, to the epic Gilgamesh , to Shakespearian plays (inspired by the line from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , “ You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon ”), as well as an entire opera performed in the language , ‘u’ , all done by ardent fans.

Klingons are one of Star Trek ’s most enduring features—their reliable presence across 51 years of the franchise is as defining as their ability to change each time we meet them. Whether it’s in big ways or small, change is fundamental to the Klingons, from the mustachioed brutes of the original series, to the dominating, brutal, and alarmingly spiky armored hunters we’re about to meet in Star Trek: Discovery . No matter how many times they show up, it’s always guaranteed that there’s always going to be something new to learn about them. 

Affliction (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Story and script
• 3.2 Continuity
• 3.7 Reception
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Guest stars
• 4.3 Co-stars
• 4.4 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.5 Stunt double
• 4.6.1 Columbia dedication plaque references
• 4.7 External links

Summary [ ]

A Klingon scientist works in a laboratory , watched by a Klingon general and a guard . A representation of a DNA helix is displayed behind the scientist. A door opens and a Klingon prisoner is led into the laboratory by two soldiers of the Klingon Empire . In Klingonese , the prisoner claims that his death sentence was commuted and demands to speak with the magistrate who presided over his trial. The Klingon soldiers strap him to a chair and hang a vial of green liquid above his head, which the scientist injects him with. Confused, the prisoner wails as his cranial ridges ripple and begin to dissolve.

Act One [ ]

Enterprise returns to Earth

Returning to Earth , Enterprise finds the NX-class starship Columbia in the orbital drydock facility, undergoing final preparations for her maiden voyage.

Meanwhile, Commander Tucker is packing a technical manual for Enterprise into a bag. He stops to look through a window in his quarters as the construction work to Columbia is being completed. When T'Pol enters his quarters, Trip remarks that the new starship is beautiful. The Vulcan states that Enterprise and Columbia are virtually identical, although Trip claims that an experienced engineer can see the differences between the two. Tucker notifies T'Pol of a "going away party" in the mess hall later and asks if she will be there. T'Pol says she doesn't understand the logic behind the engineer's departure and Trip eventually explains that he will find serving aboard Columbia more challenging. He believes he can fine tune Columbia in half the time it took him to do for Enterprise . He claims that T'Pol is not the reason for his transfer and that there are other considerations in his life, apart from her. Upon hearing this, she departs the engineer's quarters.

San Francisco

One of Phlox's Rigelian kidnappers

In San Francisco , Doctor Phlox and Ensign Hoshi Sato exit a restaurant called " Madame Chang's ". Phlox is surprised that the place was so busy, although Sato explains that she told a few of her Starfleet friends about the restaurant. Phlox tells her that, earlier in the day, the organizers of the Interspecies Medical Exchange asked the doctor if he would like to serve as their Director of Xenobiology . Phlox states that he is considering the offer, although he would find it difficult to leave his shipmates on Enterprise . Suddenly, two shadowy figures step out of an alleyway and order Phlox to accompany them. When the Denobulan voices his confusion, one of the men aims a disruptor at the doctor. Sato uses her knowledge of Aikido against the men but another hooded assailant appears behind her and knocks her to the ground. Phlox is struggling with one of the men when a disruptor blast hits him, rendering him unconscious. The doctor is restrained and carried away as Hoshi lies on the ground, barely conscious. As her eyes flutter, the linguist hears one of the men say something in an alien language .

Commander Collins

Later, when Captain Archer and Lieutenant Reed arrive at the scene of the crime, they meet Commander Collins of Starfleet Security . Sato tells Archer and Reed that she is fine and recounts that there were three men who came out of the shadows. Collins recalls that the ensign had told her the men spoke in a foreign, or alien, language. Collins tells Archer and Reed that the only DNA which Starfleet Security found belonged to Sato and Phlox. However, the security officers also detected some ionization traces nearby. Reed believes that the men were beamed away, although Collins explains that very few individuals have obtained transporter technology which would leave ionization traces. Collins presents the possibility that the men may have been organized by the same Human who attacked Phlox several months ago. ( ENT : " Home ") Reed, however, doubts that – having taken part in the brawl along with Ensign Mayweather , he feels quite confident that said drunken loudmouth would not be capable of such a well-executed plan. Collins informs Archer that Starfleet Security will continue to thoroughly investigate the crime and leaves the captain and Reed. Archer orders the lieutenant to check whether Starfleet Operations satellites picked up any transporter activity at the approximate time that Phlox was captured. Reed acknowledges and walks away.

Trip Tucker issues orders to Columbia 's engineering staff

Aboard Columbia , Tucker informs the engineering staff that they will have to align the dilithium matrix to within 0.3 microns . When Ensign Rivers replies that Tucker's order doesn't correlate with the 0.5 written in one of the tech manuals, Tucker answers that he probably has more practical experience than the warp field specialist who wrote the manual does. He orders Biggs and Pierce to recalibrate the warp field stabilizers and asks Rivers and Strong to start work on the injector assembly. As the engineers begin their duties, Tucker notices that Captain Hernandez has entered engineering . The captain reminds him that it is Starfleet protocol for a transferred officer to report to the captain when they come on board and asks Trip to come to the captain's mess for a meal later the next day. Before she leaves, Hernandez advises him to report to the quartermaster and update his uniform patch.

In the captain's ready room aboard Enterprise , T'Pol enters and informs Archer that the Denobulan ambassador has notified Phlox's wives of the doctor's kidnapping. Archer tells the Vulcan that although Sato was barely conscious, the linguist thought she heard Phlox's kidnappers say something in an alien language. Archer asks T'Pol to conduct a mind meld with Sato. When the Vulcan worries that she has never initiated a meld before, Archer replies that he will advise her with the knowledge he gained from carrying Surak 's katra .

Reed is puzzled that the satellite grid was off-line

Meanwhile, in Enterprise 's armory , Lieutenant Reed is puzzled when he discovers that Starfleet satellite grid 137 was off-line for maintenance at the time that Phlox was kidnapped. When he contacts Starfleet Operations, there is no reply. A Human male dressed in dark clothing appears on the viewscreen which Reed was using to check the satellites. The man, Harris , claims he will tell Reed why the satellite grid was down if the lieutenant meets him at a specific address in San Francisco.

In a darkened room, T'Pol tries to meld with Sato. When the ensign senses the meld isn't working, Archer suggests that the Vulcan try to slightly relax her emotional suppression. Eventually, their minds merge. T'Pol helps Sato remember the time just after she and Phlox had left Madame Chang's. The Vulcan appears in Sato's mind and the ensign indicates to the shadowy figures before they were assaulted. When they begin their assault, Sato struggles to focus. The ensign manages to focus long enough, however, to remember the men's words. She realizes that the aliens spoke in the Rigelian language .

On the bridge , T'Pol reports to the captain that a Rigelian freighter left Earth approximately two hours after Phlox was captured. The freighter was scheduled to travel to Proxima colony , although the vessel's trajectory would suggest it was heading elsewhere. Canceling shore leave for the crew on Earth, the captain orders T'Pol to make sure that all officers are returned to Enterprise . He exits the bridge to contact Admiral Gardner in his ready room.

At night in a foggy San Francisco, Reed meets up with the man he spoke to earlier. The lieutenant soon discovers that Harris was involved in shutting down the satellite grid. When Reed asks him if he knows Phlox's location, Harris answers that the section he is working for requires Reed's help. The lieutenant implies that he used to be employed by the same section, although he believed his tenure to be over. Harris claims that if Reed doesn't provide the assistance which is required, Phlox may die.

Act Two [ ]

Doctor Antaak

In the same laboratory where experiments were conducted earlier, the Klingon general, K'Vagh , watches the scientist prepare another vial of green liquid to be tested. Restrained by two Klingon soldiers, Phlox is led into the lab. K'Vagh welcomes the Denobulan to the Qu'Vat Colony and warns him he will die unless he cooperates with Doctor Antaak , the Klingon scientist. When Phlox assumes he will be assisting Antaak, the general corrects him that he will be in charge. Antaak recognizes Phlox from an IME Conference on Tiburon in 2149 . When Phlox fails to recall Antaak, the scientist claims he was disguised as a member of the Mazarite delegation because Klingon medics weren't invited to the meeting. As K'Vagh leaves, he states that he expects Phlox to prepare a progress report by sunrise on the following day. Antaak apologizes for the general's impolite behavior, a characteristic of the warrior caste . The scientist reveals that the Klingons are facing their greatest threat since the Hur'q attacked the Empire – an infection which has claimed millions already. Antaak fears the Klingons may become extinct if the infection isn't stopped. Phlox wonders why the Klingons didn't just ask Starfleet for help, and Antaak replies that would have made the Klingons look weak and dishonorable. The scientist recalls how Phlox's paper on viral propagation impressed him and tells the Denobulan he is interested in metagenic research. Antaak encourages Phlox to begin mapping the virus's nucleotides, and repeats that the virus is a great threat to the Klingon people – while he didn't like resorting to abduction any more than Phlox, it has occurred, and the need for his medical skill is very real.

On the bridge of Enterprise , T'Pol reports that she is no longer detecting the Rigelian freighter's warp trail . Reed suggests that the freighter could have resumed its course on impulse power and Travis Mayweather mentions that Enterprise will intercept the vessel in 8.2 hours. When Archer hails engineering, no-one responds. The captain eventually speaks to his new chief engineer Commander Kelby and tells the engineer that Enterprise needs more acceleration. Kelby says he'll try to increase the starship's velocity.

Trip enjoys a meal with the captain of the Columbia

On board Columbia , Trip Tucker and Captain Hernandez are enjoying a meal. Tucker remarks that the food tastes good, and Hernandez recalls that when she left her last assignment, Republic , she stole Captain Jennings ' chef . Tucker laughs, although his expression turns serious again when the captain makes him aware of two crew transfer requests since his transfer to Columbia . Not willing to reveal any names, Hernandez adds that she denied them their requested transfers, stating that engineering is already short-handed as it is. She comments on the impression Trip seems to have made with the engineering staff. Tucker doesn't care about his impression as much as he does about his staff's work. He notifies the captain that Columbia is almost ready for warp trials. Hernandez remembers that in an interview she saw with Tucker after Enterprise returned from the Xindi mission , the commander said he couldn't imagine serving on any other vessel. She wonders what changed his mind. Trip explains the crew of Enterprise were becoming too familiar and that he sometimes prefers working with colleagues rather than friends.

In T'Pol's quarters, the Vulcan is meditating. In her mind, she and Tucker are in a completely white place. She asks him why he is with her, as he isn't usually in her meditations. Tucker replies that the same question puzzles him and T'Pol explains that they are in her meditation. Tucker comments that he doesn't find the white place as interesting as a beach or the Fire Plains she showed him on Vulcan . When T'Pol asks Tucker to leave her meditation, the engineer retorts that she should leave and reveals that the white space is his daydream. Rivers disturbs Tucker's reverie and the commander returns to the real world. Rivers hands him a diagnostic on a PADD and walks away.

In her quarters, T'Pol is puzzled by her meditation. Archer contacts her from the bridge and informs her that Enterprise is nearing the coordinates of the Rigelian freighter. Rising to her feet, the Vulcan tells Archer that she is heading to the bridge.

The wreckage of the Rigelian freighter

Later, the bridge's viewscreen displays the wreckage of the Rigelian craft. T'Pol determines that all of the vessel's Rigelian complement are dead and that there are no Denobulans on board. When Archer questions Reed if he can identify the vessel's destroyer, the lieutenant checks the sensors which state that the weapon signatures are have been successfully identified. However, Reed erases the alert from his screen and lies to the captain that he can't verify an identification. Believing the lieutenant's deception, Archer orders him to scan for the ship's data recorder .

On Qu'Vat Colony, Phlox believes that the Klingon virus is a mutated form of the Levodian flu . Antaak remarks that the virus is highly immune. Phlox suggests contacting the IME, who may have experience of dealing with the virus. The Denobulan adds that no-one at the IME would have to know specific details. However, Antaak sees no reason for the IME to become involved, as the Klingons stole their entire medical database. Phlox and Antaak discuss the morals of stealing medical research. Soon, General K'Vagh returns with another prisoner and a guard . Phlox examines the prisoner and concludes that the Klingon has been infected. The Denobulan worries that he and the uninfected Klingons are being exposed to the virus but Antaak reassures him that the infection only becomes contagious at stage three – the prisoner is currently only at stage one.

Reed contacts Harris

When Antaak draws a weapon and aims it at the prisoner, Phlox stops him before he fires it. The Klingon scientist and Denobulan doctor argue about the ethics of euthanasia. Suddenly, K'Vagh removes a disruptor from his belt and kills the patient himself, leaving Antaak and Phlox shocked.

In his quarters, Reed opens a secure channel to Harris. The lieutenant communicates his frustration that the section of Starfleet which Harris works for destroyed the Rigelian freighter. When Reed asks what the complement of the Rigelian ship was, Harris refuses to reply. Reed discloses that he has completed an analysis of the weapons signatures and that he hasn't told Archer the identity of the destroyer vessel yet, although he doesn't know how long he'll be able to keep that information secret. Harris implies that Reed could say Orion raiders destroyed the Rigelian vessel since they operate in the area but the lieutenant suggests divulging his secret to Captain Archer. Harris reminds Reed of Archer's duty as a captain and advises the lieutenant to become comfortable with Harris' orders. He recalls that Reed agreed to serve Harris' section long before he was assigned to Enterprise . As an explosion rocks the ship, Hoshi hails the crew and orders the crew to man the battle stations . Shortly before Reed closes the channel to Harris, he explains that Enterprise is under attack.

Act Three [ ]

As a Klingon ship fires its disruptor cannons at Enterprise , Reed falls out of a turbolift onto the bridge. T'Pol announces that the Starfleet ship's hull plating is holding, although the Klingons are not responding to Ensign Sato's hails. Archer orders Reed, now at his post, to target the warship's weapons.

Meanwhile, a Klingon boarding party transports into a corridor on Enterprise and shoots an officer who tried to call for help. Unlike usual Klingons, the members of the away team are missing their cranial ridges. They race through the corridor and enter an access tube.

On the bridge, Sato confirms the presence of the intruders. Archer instructs Reed to seal the access tube where the Klingons are and deploy a team of MACOs .

The MACOs arrive and target the Klingons

When one of the Klingon attackers races to a computer panel, another Klingon, Marab , issues the officer an instruction in Klingonese. The MACOs arrive and fire phase rifles at the Klingons. Marab shoots back but the MACOs hide from view and none are injured by the Klingon's disruptor fire. Using a communicator to contact his ship, Marab orders the warship to target the MACOs' location.

In space, Enterprise fires its phase cannons at the Klingon craft. However, the warship thrashes the Starfleet vessel, pounding the starship with its disruptor cannons as it swoops downward before it slowly recedes.

On board Enterprise , Marab watches as the section where the MACOs are located explodes, forcing them to retreat.

On the bridge, Archer authorizes Reed to disable the Klingon ship to prevent it from escaping.

The monitor displays Klingon characters

Meanwhile, the Enterprise computer terminal that a member of the invading boarding party is working on displays Klingon text and graphics, which the Klingon soon disguises and returns to Starfleet characters. Satisfied that their work is completed, the Klingons head to the area of the ship where they beamed aboard. On the way there, however, Marab is shot by a MACO and lands beside a bulkhead . Another of the Klingons fires back and the MACO is thrown to Enterprise 's deck by his disruptor blast. The boarding party is forced to flee when they become aware of armed security officers running towards the Klingons' position. When they depart, they leave Marab behind, who the security officers find.

On the bridge, T'Pol and Travis detect that the boarding party has transported aboard the warship, which has activated its warp drive . At Archer's command, Travis attempts to pursue the Klingons but the helm station doesn't respond.

When Archer later enters sickbay and questions Marab, the captain, T'Pol and Hoshi Sato are surprised to discover that their prisoner is Klingon, as Marab is missing the cranial ridges which are a usual feature of his species.

Later, Archer, T'Pol, Sato, Mayweather and Reed gather on the bridge. Reed theorizes that Marab may have been surgically altered to appear Human. T'Pol states that because the boarding party disabled Enterprise 's antimatter flow regulators , the starship's warp drive should take six hours to be repaired. The captain orders Travis to help Chief Engineer Kelby in analyzing the extent of the Klingons' damage. As Reed listens, T'Pol informs Archer that the data which was stored in the Rigelian freighter's data recorder has been erased. T'Pol complies with the captain's request to work with Sato in an attempt to reconstruct the data.

General K'Vagh

On Qu'Vat Colony, Boshar – Antaak's pet targ – nibbles at Phlox's clothes. Antaak shouts at the animal to return to its domain. The Denobulan doctor is appalled when he finds Augment DNA in the mutagenic virus. General K'Vagh explains that the Klingon Empire could not allow the Human Augments, two of whom boarded and commandeered a Bird-of-Prey, to provide Starfleet with a superior advantage. Phlox argues that the Augments who were genetically engineered by Arik Soong were relics from a time from decades ago before Starfleet banned genetic engineering . K'Vagh tells Phlox that the Vulcans weren't very persuasive when they told the same story to the Klingon High Council . When Phlox remembers that all of the Augments which Soong created were killed , he wonders where the Klingons obtained the Augment DNA. Antaak replies that several embryos were found on board the Bird-of-Prey which the Klingons used to resequence the DNA of some test subjects. However, the subjects exhibited several unexpected side effects – their cranial ridges began to dissolve and they were more aggressive than the other Klingons had anticipated. For a time, it seemed that the experiments had been successful. The Klingon Augments were stronger and more intelligent, though they later suffered an excruciating death when their neural pathways began to degrade. One of the test subjects was suffering from the Levodian flu, which was modified by the Augment genes to become airborne. When Phlox becomes irritated that he wasn't given this information earlier, K'Vagh orders him to return to his work.

Aboard Enterprise in the situation room , T'Pol suggests to Sato that using a recursive algorithm may help to reconstruct the directory of the Rigelian data recorder. When Sato asks T'Pol about the side effects of a mind meld, the Vulcan replies that the procedure entails the sharing of subconscious thought. These thoughts can sometimes surface during sleep, causing strange dreams. Sato continues by admitting that she recently had a bizarre dream – one in which Trip was involved. As T'Pol listens intently, she learns that Sato's dream shared a certain parallel with the meditation she experienced earlier – Trip was in a strange, white place.

Microdyne coupler

Sato reveals that although she has never dreamed about Commander Tucker before, her dream had a romantic quality to it. T'Pol hears a console signal, returning her attention to the computer's analysis of the data recorder.

Later, Archer, T'Pol and Sato are in the captain's ready room. Archer holds a microdyne coupler which was used to erase the data recorder's memory core. The coupler was found in storage locker C-14, which was last accessed by Malcolm Reed.

Archer later calls Reed to the captain's ready room. There, the lieutenant hears the evidence against him. Reed acts as if he is innocent and insists that the Rigelian freighter was attacked with Orion weapons. Archer contends that T'Pol examined Reed's analysis and concluded that Klingon disruptors destroyed the freighter. When Archer asks for an explanation, the lieutenant refuses to answer. The captain opens the door of his ready room, where a MACO corporal , W. Woods , stands. Relieving Reed of his duties, Archer orders the MACO to escort the lieutenant to the brig and confine him there.

Act Four [ ]

In Enterprise 's brig, Archer informs Reed that the starship is heading into Klingon territory, a dangerous place to go. The captain asks Reed if he knows where Phlox is, but the lieutenant assures Archer that he doesn't. Archer seems appalled and surprised that Reed would commit treason, although the armory officer insists that he isn't working for the Klingons. When the captain asks who did recruit Reed, the lieutenant doesn't answer. He implies that he has an obligation to withhold certain information and is disgraced by the thought of his father, Stuart Reed , learning that Malcolm is facing court martial .

On Qu'Vat Colony, General K'Vagh has become impatient with Phlox. The doctor notes that Arik Soong would have been able to map the virus more efficiently than the Denobulan. Antaak states that the Klingons tried to abduct Soong but he was under heavy guard. K'Vagh reveals that the Klingon High Council has launched a fleet of ships which have annihilated N'Vak Colony , one of the first planets to be infected. Phlox is appalled that the victims of the plague are being massacred, although K'Vagh argues that the Council are absolutely determined to contain the outbreak. When the Denobulan notifies K'Vagh that the development and testing of an antiviral agent will take weeks, the general worries that millions of Klingons will have been infected by that time. He tells Antaak that the fleet will reach Qu'Vat Colony in five days, although the scientist claims that the Council wouldn't order the colony 's destruction if they learned that Klingon Augments had been created there. Although the experiments haven't been successful yet, Antaak informs K'Vagh that he and Phlox may be able to sustain the Augments' DNA. If successful, K'Vagh could then use the Augments to force the High Council into allowing more time for the research of a cure. When Phlox refuses to cooperate in the creation of the Augments, K'Vagh pulls a disruptor from his belt and orders a Klingon soldier to take the Denobulan away.

Trip Tucker in Columbia 's engineering department

On Columbia 's bridge, Captain Hernandez contacts the dockmaster , who permits the starship to depart. She then hails Engineering, where Trip is ensuring that final preparations are complete. Ensign Rivers reports that the dilithium matrix is stable and the drive coils are properly configured. Trip notifies the captain that engineering is ready, so Hernandez gives the order to engage aft thrusters as Columbia departs spacedock , before going to warp.

In space, the new starship launches from the orbital dry dock station, before plunging into the depths of space at warp speed.

Aboard Enterprise , a partition within the brig's cell has been added, dividing it into two. Reed watches as a couple of MACOs enter and push Marab into one of the cells. As the MACOs exit, the lieutenant speaks with Marab, who thinks Reed is fortunate to be alive after lying to the captain. He reveals that if a Klingon betrayed their captain, he would be immediately executed . Reed claims that his goal is the same as Marab's – a cure. Suddenly, the starship shudders.

On the bridge, Travis reports a malfunction in the matter / antimatter intermix chamber . The pressure of the warp plasma is increasing and the anti-matter flow regulators are locked open. T'Pol is unable to determine whether the Klingons damaged the regulators. Travis states that the pressure of the warp plasma is approaching critical levels. If Enterprise dropped to impulse velocity, the warp reactor would breach. However, if the starship's speed increases, the pressure of the warp plasma would fall. Archer instructs Travis to go to maximum warp and orders T'Pol to assist the engineering crew.

In the brig, the captain demands Marab to instruct Archer how to repair the damage which the Klingons did. When the captain explains that Marab will die if Enterprise 's reactor breaches , the Klingon states that he is prepared to die. When Reed shouts that he can help, Archer leaves the brig, not listening to the lieutenant's pleas.

Enterprise races through space

In Main Engineering, T'Pol and Kelby learn that the warp matrix has been compromised by a Klingon subroutine, which has also infiltrated the command protocols. Although T'Pol is uncertain whether she will able to remove the subroutine, she states that she will try her best to help regain control of the ship.

In a turbolift, Archer is contacted by Travis, who tells the captain the warp plasma pressure is rising again. The captain orders Travis to increase Enterprise 's velocity to warp 5.2, a speed which the starship won't be able to hold for long. Eventually, the ensign complies and the starship races through space to an uncertain fate.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Memorable quotes [ ]

" It wasn't my idea to abduct you. Nevertheless, you are here. Millions of lives are at risk! "

" I don't know who's in charge of your mess hall, but he'd give the chef on Enterprise a run for his money. " " I stole him from the Republic . Captain Jennings said I could have anything I wanted when I left, so I took his cook. "

" This is where I go in my mind. " " Wow! I would've thought you'd pick a more interesting place, like the beach or... one of those fire plains you showed me. "

" We should contact the IME – they may have seen this mutation before. I'm certain they'll be willing to share their database with us. I know of a few... indirect channels – no one would have to know. " " There's no need to contact them. We've acquired their entire database! "

" You stole it! " " Medical research isn't a priority for the High Council – I am forced to obtain information however I can. " " That doesn't sound very honorable. " " Given the choice between honor and saving lives, I choose the latter. "

" Perhaps you should ask your superiors to steal a genome sequencer, hmm? We're not going to be able to map the virus without the proper technology. "

" When I asked you to bring me a subject for dissection, I assumed he would already be dead. " " He won't be alive much longer. "

" It is more honorable to give one's life for medical research than to die for no purpose! " " That choice is not ours to make! "

" Proceed. "

" I'm being compromised, sir, and I don't like it. " " Then I suggest you adjust your comfort level, Lieutenant. "

(Translating Marab)" 'I have nothing to say to you, Human...' " " That sounds like... " " Klingon! " " There must be some kind of mistake... according to his bio-signature, he is Klingon. "

" I've seen these sequences before – six months ago, to be precise. This is Augment DNA! "

" If you hope to ever leave this place, I suggest you stop asking questions and resume work. "

" Is it unusual to have weird dreams after a mind meld ? " " Subconscious thoughts are often exchanged. They sometimes surface during sleep. " " I had a bizarre dream last night. Commander Tucker was in it. We were in a strange place – it was all white. There was almost a, uh... romantic quality to it. I don't ever remember dreaming about Commander Tucker before. " " Most unusual. "

" Your word isn't worth a lot at the moment. "

" Perhaps you should've abducted Dr. Soong ! He could have mapped this genome more efficiently than I can. " " We tried. Soong was under heavy guard. "

" Why're you here? " " That's a long story. " " Entertain me. "

" You're fortunate to be alive. A Klingon who betrays his captain would be immediately executed. "

Background information [ ]

Story and script [ ].

• This episode and the following one (" Divergence ") attempt to explain the makeup change in Klingons between TOS and Star Trek: The Motion Picture , which had been semi-acknowledged as canon since the broadcast of DS9 's " Blood Oath " and " Trials and Tribble-ations " in the 1990s. Some viewers had criticized the Star Trek: Enterprise producers for not depicting Klingons of this era as smooth-headed, as they had been in the Original Series . While some fans simply ignored the Klingon makeup changes in the various series and films, others had longed for an "official" explanation. The writers of Enterprise hoped their take would find a way of satisfying both points of view, while simultaneously telling an interesting story. (For more from teleplay writer Mike Sussman , see Klingon augment virus .)
• The final draft script of this episode was submitted on 2 December 2004 .

Continuity [ ]

• The mention of the Hur'q is a reference to the DS9 episode " The Sword of Kahless ", where Worf , Jadzia Dax and Kor find the Sword of Kahless among the ruins of the Hur'q civilization in the Gamma Quadrant .
• "Affliction" features the first appearance of the Rigelians in Star Trek . They, like the Tarkaleans , had been mentioned but not seen in previous series.
• This episode is the first to bring Section 31 , a concept introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , into Enterprise . Although the name "Section 31" is never mentioned in this or subsequent Enterprise episodes (though in the next episode, "Divergence", Agent Harris invokes "Article 14, Section 31" of the Starfleet Charter to justify his actions), interviews with the production staff confirm that this is indeed the same organization that was introduced in Deep Space Nine .
• When asked why he's in the brig, Reed tells Marab that it is a "long story" – the same phrase Worf used 114 years later to describe the affair in " Trials and Tribble-ations ".
• Captain Hernandez makes her second appearance after " Home ". Also, Commander Collins references the xenophobic attack which took place in that episode and Trip mentions the Vulcan fire plains that T'Pol showed him in "Home".
• Arik Soong is mentioned several times, as are the Augments which he genetically engineered.
• Archer mentions Lieutenant Reed's father, Stuart Reed , who was seen in " Silent Enemy ".
• The Klingon augment virus was created as a result of the Human Augment DNA modifying the Levodian flu virus. In VOY : " Tattoo ", The Doctor programmed himself with a simulated version of the Levodian flu at Kes ' request to make him more sympathetic to his patients.
• A reverse image of the Great Lakes was used in one shot of the Enterprise orbiting the Earth, apparently the same shot used to represent Kreetassa in A Night in Sickbay . This is puzzling as of course the image should not have been reversed; the image also seems to lack any other nearby water features actually present on the Earth, such as the St. Lawrence Seaway.
• The bridge plan for the Columbia duplicates that of the alternate Enterprise from " E² ".
• A Klingon hypospray used in this episode, which was previously a Cardassian and Ferengi hypospray in DS9 : " The Wire " and ENT : " Acquisition " respectively, was sold off on week 4 of the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay for $1026. [1]
• Marc Worden previously played Worf's son Alexander in two episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .
• Brad Greenquist previously played Demmas in VOY : " Warlord " and Krit in DS9 : " Who Mourns for Morn? "
• Rivers is played by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane , who also made a brief cameo appearance in " The Forgotten ".
• This episode marks the first appearance of Derek Magyar as Commander Kelby, who later appears in " Bound " and " Terra Prime ". His mirror universe counterpart also appeared in " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ".
• Kate McNeil , who plays Commander Collins previously worked with Scott Bakula on Bakula's show, Quantum Leap .
• Close-ups of Lieutenant Reed's tactical console display references of 47 .
• The names of K'Vagh and Marab are not revealed in this episode and are derived from the script. General K'Vagh's name is also mentioned in the concluding part of this Klingon story arc, " Divergence ".
• The Klingon dialogue heard in this episode was translated by Marc Okrand , the author of The Klingon Dictionary and many other works on the Klingon language. Okrand created the Klingon dialogue for several of the Star Trek feature films. Okrand was consulted by episode writer Mike Sussman, who wanted the characters to speak authentic Klingon.
• This episode features the first named targ in Star Trek , Boshar (counting neither Toby the Targ , B'Elanna Torres ' stuffed toy targ, nor Piggy , Molly O'Brien 's stuffed targ).
• The Enterprise reaches a new record top speed in this episode, warp 5.2.
• The CGI model of Qu'Vat Colony is a slightly modified reuse of the digital model created for Zobral's encampment in the first season episode " Desert Crossing ".

Reception [ ]

• Manny Coto cited this episode as one that "really turned out great." ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 37, No. 2, p. 41)

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer
• John Billingsley as Phlox
• Jolene Blalock as T'Pol
• Dominic Keating as Malcolm Reed
• Anthony Montgomery as Travis Mayweather
• Linda Park as Hoshi Sato
• Connor Trinneer as Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Guest stars [ ]

• John Schuck as Antaak
• James Avery as K'Vagh
• Ada Maris as Hernandez
• Eric Pierpoint as Harris
• Terrell Tilford as Marab
• Kate McNeil as Collins
• Brad Greenquist as a Rigelian Kidnapper
• Derek Magyar as Kelby

Co-stars [ ]

• Marc Worden as Klingon Prisoner
• Seth MacFarlane as Rivers

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Adam Anello
• Michael Bailous as Klingon Assistant
• Jorge Benevides as R. Azar
• Solomon Burke, Jr. as Billy
• Paul Caroul as Klingon Augment
• Shawn Crowder as B. Cotton
• Thomas DuPont as Rigelian Kidnapper #3
• Jeremy Fry as MACO Private
• Glen Hambly as operations ensign
• Scott Hill as Hutchison
• Terita Jackson as Columbia helm ensign
• Roy Joaquin
• Ricky Lomax as W. Woods
• Andrew MacBeth as E. Hamboyan
• Dorenda Moore as S. Money
• Melissa O'Keeffe
• Ator Tamras as A. Tamras
• Aaron White as R. Ryan
• Brian J. Williams as Rigelian Kidnapper #2
• Wanda Willis as W. Willis
• Enterprise MACO
• Klingon guards

Stunt double [ ]

• Diana Lee Inosanto as stunt double for Linda Park

References [ ]

2149 ; access tube ; antimatter flow regulator ; antiviral agent ; assault ; atmospheric residue ; Augments ; avenue ; beach ; bio-sign ; biosignature ; black box ; boarding party ; Boshar ; career ; caste ; cell rate ; chef ; Columbia ; Columbia chef ; com officer ; command protocol ; commutation ; counts per minute ( cpm ); court martial ; cranial ridge ; data recorder ; death sentence ; Denobula ; Denobulan ambassador ; Denobulans ; dilithium matrix ; Director of Xenobiology ; disruptors ; dissection ; DNA ; dozen ; drydock ; Earth ; emotional suppression ; ENC ratio ; encryption ; engineering department ; euthanasia ; Fire Plains ; frequency ; Gardner ; genome sequencer ; going-away party ; hadron ; hadron count ; Hur'q ; IME ; IME Conference ; inferior species ; intermix chamber ; ion trace ; Jennings ; katra ; kidnapper ; kidnapping ; Klingons ; Klingon Augment starship ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon High Council ; Klingon Imperial Fleet ; Klingon magistrate ; Klingonese ; lab assistant ; leverage ; Levodian flu ; loudmouth ; MACOs ; " Madame Chang's "; magistrate ; Mazarites ; metagenics ; microdyne coupler ; micron ; mind meld (aka "meld"); N'Vak ; N'Vak Colony ; neural activity ; neural pathway ; North Maple Street ; nucleotide ; Orions ; particulate remnant ; patient ; parts per million ( ppm ); perimeter scan ; protein sequencing ; Proxima colony ; proximity scan ; pulse ; quartermaster ; Qu'Vat Colony ; recursive algorithm ; Reed, Stuart ; Republic ; respiration ; Rigelians ; Rigelian language ; Rigelian freighter ; Royal Navy ; San Francisco ; satellite grid ; satellite log ; Section 31 ; security clearance ; semiconscious ; sense of humor ; sensor log ; shore leave ; Soong, Arik ; Spacecraft Operating & Management System ; Starfleet Charter ; Starfleet Operations (aka Starfleet Ops ); Starfleet Operations satellite ( satellite ); Starfleet Security ; subepithelial scan ; Surak ; surgically altered ; systems monitor ; tactical alert ; targ ; technical manual ; test subject ; Tiburon ; transfer request ; translation matrix ; transporter ; Vulcans ; mind meld ; warp field specialist ; warp matrix ; warp signature ; warp trail ; weapon signature ; white ; xeno-biology ; Xindi mission

Columbia dedication plaque references [ ]

Agalsoff, G. ; Agalsoff, Jr., J. ; Arp, T. ; Baskin, D. ; Berman, R. ; Betts, B. ; Blackman, B. ; Bormanis, A. ; Bozeman, M. ; Braga, B. ; Brill, S. ; Brown, J. ; Butler, P. ; Canamar, V. ; Calvaruso, R. ; Clark, C. ; Codron, A. ; Cole, L. ; Connolly, L. ; Cooper, R. ; Corcoran-Woods, P. ; Coto, M. ; D'Errico, S. ; Deadrick, Jr. , V. ; Deep Space Operations ; DeMeritt, M. ; Devlin, J. ; Djanrelian, J. ; Dominguez, A. ; Dominguez, R. ; Dorton, L. ; Drexler, D. ; Drozdowski, D. ; Dukes, L. ; Earth ; Eaves, J. ; Edelman, G. ; Ellis, E. ; Environmental Systems ; Eyslee, R. ; Farrell, J.P. ; Fernandez, J. ; Fisher, J. ; Flight Software ; Flight Test Crew ; Fredrickson, A. ; Fukai, A. ; Goddard, R. ; Harris, J. ; Harvey, G. ; Heidemann, B. ; Hester, R. ; Hoffman, M. ; Howard, M. ; Jacobson, P. ; Jefferies, W.M. ; Jierjian, H. ; Kelly, E. ; Knapp, D. ; Kobayashi, A. ; Koeppel, D. ; Kroeker, A. ; Kunz, C. ; Lambert, A. ; Lauritson, P. ; Latin language ; Lederman, B. ; Lee, N. ; Levy, A. ; Lewis, J. ; Look, B. ; Matalas, T. ; Mayer, W. ; McMeikan, J. ; Mees, J. ; Meyers, R. ; Mirabello, D. ; Mission Operations ; Moore, J. ; Moore, M. ; Nesterowicz, J. ; Norman, E. ; O'Halloran, M. ; O'Hea, F. ; Okuda, D. ; Okuda, M. ; Orbital Ergonomics ; Packard, A. ; Peck, S. ; Petrus, C. ; Peyser, J. ; Pizston, J. ; Pondella, D. ; Pooley, A. ; Propulsion Systems ; Purser, T. ; Ratliff, R. ; Reeves-Stevens, G. ; Reeves-Stevens, J. ; Regan, E. ; Reilly, M. ; Rissmiller, S. ; Roddenberry, G. ; Rooney, D. ; Rossi, D. ; Rudolph, J. ; Russo, C. ; San Francisco ; Scott, T. ; Sena, L. ; Shimizu, S. ; Siegel, T. ; Simonson, A. ; Simonson, R. ; Spaceframe Engineering ; Starfleet Command ; Sussman, M. ; Takemura, D. ; Thomas, J. ; Thoms, W. ; Trotti, D. ; United Earth Space Probe Agency ; Valdes, F. ; Van Over, J. ; Vehicle Development ; Velazquez, D. ; Virgil ; Ward, L. ; Welke, S. ; Westmore, M. ; Westmore, S. ; White, L. ; Yacobian, Brad ; Zerkel, A. ; Zimmerman, F. ; Zimmerman, H.

External links [ ]

• "Affliction" at StarTrek.com
• " Affliction " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Affliction " at Wikipedia
• 3 Ancient humanoid

How These Star Trek Villains Wreaked Havoc From DS9 to Picard

• The Dominion is a powerful alien empire in Star Trek that challenged the Federation like never before.
• While the Klingons, Romulans, and Borg evolved over time, the Dominion remained a second-tier villain.
• Star Trek: Picard's third season saw the Dominion return strong, with a complex plot and characters.

Star Trek has always featured compelling villainous aliens, many of whom have arcs and collective journeys as rich as any individual character. The Klingons, for instance, have gone from the Federation's greatest foes to fierce allies and antiheroes. The Romulan Empire similarly underwent rapid disintegration in the late 24th century and re-unified with their genetic cousins, the Vulcans, in later seasons of Star Trek: Discovery . Even the Borg changed over the course of the franchise, as individuals like Seven of Nine escaped the Collective and threats like Species 8472 proved more than they could handle. That dedication to their organic development has helped make them truly memorable foes, not only in Star Trek , but in pop culture as a whole.

One villainous species tends to get a little lost in the shuffle, however. The Dominion -- a powerful alien empire controlled by shape-shifting Changelings -- proved to be one of the deadliest foes the Federation ever faced. They launched a war against the Alpha Quadrant during the final seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, forcing Starfleet to join forces with traditional enemies like the Romulans in the face of the common threat. Despite that, the Dominion itself is often relegated to second-tier villain status. Star Trek: Picard's triumphant third season successfully returned them to the spotlight, and reminded fans how terrifying they could be as antagonists.

The Dominion Were Designed as an Existential Threat

The complete history of the klingons in star trek's next generation era.

Deep Space Nine cemented a big transition for the franchise, moving away from Gene Roddenberry's beliefs in an absolute utopia. A Federation devoid of conflict was no place to tell compelling stories, which The Original Series solved by presenting solely external threats in its planet-of-the-week format. Star Trek: The Next Generation successfully broke out of that mold, though its early seasons were plagued by problems caused by the infamous "Roddenberry Box" forbidding intrapersonal conflicts among the crew. The incursion of the Borg in Season 3, Episode 26, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" definitively broke the Box, with Will Riker taking command of the Enterprise amid constant head-butting from his de facto Number One, Elizabeth Shelby.

As The Next Generation continued to explore the story potential of protagonists with differing opinions, Deep Space Nine fully committed to the dark side of the 24th century. Set aboard a rickety former mining station near the planet Bajor, it looked for drama within the limits of the Federation's power, and how characters like Captain Benjamin Sisko have to sometimes make compromises for the greater good. The Dominion proved to be the perfect fulcrum for that as a technologically advanced fascist theocracy, ruled by the Changelings who condition their subjects to worship them as gods. Besides their technological advantages, the Dominion's military forces are truly terrifying.

The ground troops are genetically engineered constructs known as the Jem'Hadar; they are bred to be soldiers and physically dependent upon a chemical called ketracel white to ensure their absolute loyalty. Their commanders, administrators and tactical advisors are a species known as Vorta, who are preternaturally cunning and built to influence foes with honeyed words before unleashing the Dominion's full forces on them. Worst of all were the Changelings themselves, who could perfectly imitate anyone they wished and who would abduct key personnel and replace them with duplicates to sow distrust and discord. On top of all that, they had a vast empire of slave labor at their command, and with the Bajoran wormhole providing a conduit to the Alpha Quadrant, they potentially had the ability to overrun the Federation in a manner of days.

The Dominion Pushed the Moral Limits of The Federation

The complete history of vulcans in the federation era of star trek.

The Dominion were designed the way they were in order to push the Starfleet characters -- specifically Sisko -- into making compromised choices for the sake of survival . That included below-the-belt tactics such as mining the entrance to the wormhole to prevent any ships from getting through, and Section 31's use of biological warfare to infect the Changeling collective with a fatal virus. The most telling moment came with Season 6, Episode 19, " In the Pale Moonlight ," in which Sisko has a hand in forgery, duplicity and murder in order to bring the Romulans into the war.

It is perhaps Star Trek's darkest moment, and a canny exploration of the franchise's famous adage, "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Sisko's efforts bore fruit, and the united Alpha Quadrant was finally able to push the Dominion and its allies to the point of capitulation at the end of Season 7. But the cost was terrible, with millions dead and vast regions of the Alpha Quadrant devastated by war . The Dominion retreated back to the other side of the wormhole, and Odo -- a wayward Changeling who helped convince his people to halt the fighting -- returned to the collective to help end their distrust of "the solids."

As antagonists, they worked incredibly well, thanks in part to a slow build-up that left their origins and motives in the dark until they were well into their infiltration of the Alpha Quadrant. They provided the ideal crucible to test the Federation's principles under fire. While Roddenberry's bright future survived, it emerged with scars that never quite healed. Not even the Borg could top the Dominion as foes, and fans have even gamed out a hypothetical conflict between the Dominion and the Borg, with more or less even odds on which species will prevail.

Despite that, their footprint in the franchise is much smaller than other major antagonists. They returned to the Gamma Quadrant after the war, and essentially vanished with the series finale of Deep Space Nine. With its sister series Star Trek: Voyager focusing on the Borg , and the follow-up Star Trek: Enterprise taking place centuries before the opening of the wormhole, there was no convenient way to resurrect them. The franchise simply moved on, and the Dominion was left collecting dust on the shelves.

Picard Gives The Dominion the Comeback They Deserve

How deep space nine elevated the ferengi from jokes to serious characters.

The latter-day Star Trek renaissance provided an opportunity to do something special with the Dominion. Picard Season 3 depicted a dying, vengeance-obsessed Borg queen pairing up with a radical faction of Changelings to take another run at destroying the Earth. They replace key Starfleet members and sabotage the transporters aboard most of its starships by infecting those who use it with a subtle hormone that allows the Borg Queen to take control of them remotely. The complex plot sees Picard and the reunited crew of the Enterprise-D work to uncover the truth before the sinister coalition springs its trap.

Beyond the cleverness of the plot and its borderline horror-movie premise, Amanda Plummer's Changeling Vadic cements herself as an instant fan favorite. She and her cohorts were captured and experimented on during the Dominion War, rendering them traumatized and filled with hate. Plummer always excels in eccentric roles, which feels like a being who hasn't quite mastered the art of humanoid emotional expression. She's manic, mercurial, and extremely bad at hiding the depths of her hatred.

While Vadic meets her just fate before seeing her plans come to fruition, her presence lingers in the series' final few episodes, to the point of outclassing the Borg Queen herself. She also gives a face to the Changelings, who were usually by definition disguised as someone else. Their representative (known only as "female Changeling") was presumptuous and cold, which forms a stark contrast with Vadic's onscreen villain. It demonstrates the effects of their defeat on the Dominion's self-styled god-rulers.

Picard helps the Dominion demonstrate a viable arc over time, in the same manner as the Klingons, the Romulans and the Borg. Fans can see how the loss has affected them as individuals, as well as the political fallout from it all. Vadic belongs to a splinter group rather than the bulk of the collective. It gives them the depth and sense of continuity they need to rightfully join the ranks of elite Star Trek villains . With Picard opening the door to further appearances, and with other antagonists suffering from decades of overuse, an extended return could help define the future of the franchise.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Picard are both streaming in their entirety on Paramount+.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

Created by Gene Roddenberry

First Film Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Latest Film Star Trek: Nemesis

First TV Show Star Trek: The Original Series

Latest TV Show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Cast Nichelle Nichols, Scott Bakula, Kate Mulgrew, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Avery Brooks, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan

TV Show(s) Star Trek: Animated, Star trek, Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Lower Decks

5 Things Only Adults Notice In Star Trek: Enterprise

From its almost universally hated theme song to its bare-bones, submarine-inspired ship energy, "Star Trek: Enterprise" tells one of the most fundamentally different stories in the Trek canon. Long before Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) spread Federation ideals through the galaxy and Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) welcomed diplomats aboard his Space Hilton, the prototypical Enterprise NX-01 brought pre-Federation humanity to the stars — and what a wild ride it was.

Originally airing on the UPN network during the early 2000s around the same time as "Buffy: The Vampire Slayer," "Enterprise" was part of a lineup that was meant to appeal to a fairly young demographic. For viewers who were still pretty young during the show's first run, rewatching from the business end of adulthood can be pretty eye-opening. From a storyline that's meant to parallel real-world events to steamy "Star Trek" scenes that would make even Q blush, here are five things only adults notice when watching "Enterprise."

1. There's a reason fans call Enterprise Sexy Trek

Among the Trekkie community, "Enterprise" is frequently referred to as "Sexy Trek," which is saying something in a franchise brimming with spandex, holodeck hookups, and even a candle sex ghost. Every Trek from "The Original Series" onward has its share of thirst traps from Kirk and William T. Riker's (Jonathan Frakes) horny space diplomacy to the generous use of Dabo girl underboob at Quark's bar. But "Enterprise" is a master class in sculpting a plot around lust-inducing eye candy. 

While a millennial-era teenager might not have fully realized how gratuitously sexual "Enterprise" is, the salacious undertone can almost feel cringe-inducing at times when viewed through adult eyes. And nowhere is this more obvious than the ship's decon chamber, where the ship's hottest crewmates get to oil each other up while hanging out in their space undies after each mission.

One of the show's most unabashedly thirsty scenes is in "Xindi," when T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) strips away her top while directing Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer) in the art of Vulcan neuropressure. "You can apply considerable pressure," she directs him while cupping her nacelles for modesty's sake. "Harder...harder...just like that," before gasping and then directing him to "Please disrobe" so she can return the favor. And then there's that moment in "Shockwave" when a sweaty Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) loses her shirt while jumping down from an air vent. "In a Mirror, Darkly" brings Sexy Trek to its logical conclusion by pairing some of the franchise's most revealing crop tops with unnecessary girl-on-girl fighting and a steady stream of horny dialogue.

2. Archer is incredibly unprofessional

Captain Jonathan Archer's (Scott Bakula) personality throughout "Enterprise" serves as a constant reminder of how far Starfleet progresses as the decades and centuries pass. In contrast with the refined professionalism of later captains like Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), and Picard, Archer is fairly rough around the edges — which makes sense since he's literally writing the book on what it means to be a Starfleet leader. But a few rewatches in, his frequently unprofessional behavior can seem almost out of control at times, and it's hard to imagine Archer would make it far in the Picard-era Federation.

Rudeness, temperamental behavior, and an overall lack of respect for alien cultures are some of the hallmarks of Archer's early command. This serious lack of professionalism can be seen in the pilot episode "Broken Bow" as Archer appears before Starfleet Command and the Vulcan Council. When he is told the Vulcans want to delay the Enterprise launch, Archer immediately becomes disrespectful, mouthing off to the Klingons and his superiors before entering a medical treatment area without asking. When T'Pol calls humanity "volatile," he responds, "Volatile? You have no idea how much I'm restraining myself from knocking you on your a**." 

In "A Night in Sickbay," Archer angrily complains to members of his crew about having to "grovel" after offending the Kreetassians. He then negligently lets his dog Porthos urinate on the Kreetassan planet, leading to an interplanetary diplomatic crisis Archer stubbornly refuses to take responsibility for until he's forced to.

3. The Xindi storyline is meant to parallel 9/11

"Star Trek: Enterprise" aired just two weeks after the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. Although younger audiences might not have caught it, the show's Xindi storyline drew heavy inspiration from this real-world terrorist act and its global impact. Beginning in the Season 2 finale, the Xindi storyline begins with a seemingly unprovoked devastating attack on the Earth from a previously unknown alien species ("The Expanse"). During the attack, an alien probe appears above the planet to carve out a 4,000-kilometer path of destruction running from Florida to Venezuela, killing 7 million victims and leaving the world stunned and horrified.

As Starfleet grapples with the fallout, Archer and his crew soon discover the attack was perpetrated by the Xindi, a race of aliens made up of five distinct species. It's later revealed that the attack was just a test run for a larger weapon meant to destroy the Earth ("Azati Prime"). Veteran Trek producer/director David Livingston confirmed the familiar story origin on the Season 3 video commentary, noting, "The Xindi were destroying parts of Earth. So, it was reflective of what was going on at the time." On Bob Saget's "Here For You" podcast, Scott Bakula later added, "Of course, our series was colored by 9/11 happening. We were shooting then and that eventually took over the direction of our show in terms of mirroring that event and casting it into the studio and painting it with the StarTrek brush."

4. The show recycles a lot of other Trek stories

Watch "Star Trek" long enough, and you might eventually start to realize that some of the plots feel awfully familiar. In a franchise with hundreds of episodes, it should hardly come as a surprise that tried-and-true sci-fi tropes keep showing up across Starfleet eras. But one of the more common criticisms of "Enterprise" is its writers' alleged overreliance on sliced, diced, but ultimately rehashed plots from other "Star Trek" series. Whether intentional or coincidental, many of the NX-01's adventures do seem to mirror other stories in the franchise pretty closely.

"Oasis," which starred eventual Borg Queen Annie Wersching and René Auberjonois (Odo on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"), finds the Enterprise crew exploring a supposedly haunted ship populated by hologram-generated illusions. The plot so closely resembled the "Deep Space Nine" episode "Shadowplay" that Auberjonois mentioned it to Bakula while on set. 

The episode "Dawn," which found Trip Tucker stranded with an alien he could not communicate with, is like a Wish.com copy of "The Next Generation" episode "Darmok," which in turn borrows heavily from the film "Enemy Mine." And "Vanishing Point," which features a terrified Hoshi believing that she's dematerializing after a transporter accident, is like a darker take on "The Next Generation" episode "The Next Phase." "Terra Nova" resembles the "Voyager" episode "Friendship One," and "Precious Cargo" marks the third use of "The Original Series" plot from "Elaan of Troyius," which showed up in the "Next Generation" episode "The Perfect Mate."

5. It has more character development than most Star Trek series

"Star Trek: Enterprise" might be something of an intergalactic hot mess — particularly in Season 1 when writers didn't seem to know what to do with some characters. But when taken as a whole, many fans have noticed this series presents some of the best character development in the "Star Trek" franchise. Nowhere is this more evident than with Archer, who grows from something of an anti-Vulcanist bigot with little respect for the serious historical implications of the crew's every interaction to a fully-formed diplomat with a commitment to creating a brighter future for humanity.

At the beginning of the show, T'Pol appears to be a stereotypical Vulcan — she seems to have little interest in being more than the Enterprise's space babysitter and frequently expresses a repressed disdain for humanity's food, habits, and even smells. As the series progresses, we see her grow, face personal demons, and form powerful friendships, particularly with Hoshi, Archer, and Trip. By the end, T'Pol has blossomed into a voice for interspecies cooperation who has come to deeply value her human counterparts.

Hoshi begins "Enterprise" as a brilliant linguist who is afraid of everything and struggles with severe anxiety. While aboard the Enterprise, she learns to rely on those around her for guidance and support and actively works on managing and overcoming her own mental health hurdles. Likewise, Trip matures both in his professional growth and his relationships with other characters, particularly with T'Pol, as seen when he puts her feelings before his own when faced with her arranged marriage to Koss ("Home"). Despite the show's rocky start, the crew's personal growth helps make "Enterprise" one of the most powerful character-driven stories in the "Star Trek" canon. 

• Cast & crew
• User reviews
• Episode aired Apr 9, 2003

After Enterprise lends aid to a group of accused rebels, Captain Archer faces a tribunal and charges of conspiring against the Klingon Empire. After Enterprise lends aid to a group of accused rebels, Captain Archer faces a tribunal and charges of conspiring against the Klingon Empire. After Enterprise lends aid to a group of accused rebels, Captain Archer faces a tribunal and charges of conspiring against the Klingon Empire.

• James L. Conway
• Gene Roddenberry
• Rick Berman
• Brannon Braga
• Scott Bakula
• John Billingsley
• Jolene Blalock
• 12 User reviews
• 4 Critic reviews

• Capt. Jonathan Archer

• Sub-Cmdr. T'Pol

• Lt. Malcolm Reed

• Ensign Travis Mayweather

• Ensign Hoshi Sato

• Cmdr. Charles 'Trip' Tucker III

• Advocate Kolos

• Prosecutor Orak

• Klingon Magistrate

• Klingon First Officer
• (as DJ Lockhart)

• Ensign Billy
• (uncredited)

• Engineer Alex

• Ensign Tanner
• Brannon Braga (showrunner)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Scott Bakula has stated this was his favorite episode of the series.
• Goofs When top-view shots of the Klingon tribunal hall are shown revealing onlookers in second-floor and third-floor balconies, the spectators are exactly the same, including identical costumes and synchronous actions.

Kolos : My father... was a teacher; my mother, a biologist at the university. They encouraged me to take up the law. Now, all young people want to do is take up weapons, as soon as they can hold them. They're told there's honor in victory. Any victory. What honor is there in a victory over a weaker opponent? Had Duras destroyed that ship, he would've been lauded as a hero of the Empire, for murdering helpless refugees. We were a great society, not so long ago. When honor was earned through integrity and... acts of true courage. Not senseless bloodshed.

Captain Jonathan Archer : For thousands of years, my people had similar problems. We fought three world wars that almost destroyed us. Whole generations were nearly wiped out.

Kolos : What changed?

Captain Jonathan Archer : A few courageous people began to realize... they could make a difference.

• Connections Referenced in After Trek: Choose Your Pain (2017)
• Soundtracks Where My Heart Will Take Me Written by Diane Warren Performed by Russell Watson Episode: {all episodes}

User reviews 12

• Mar 21, 2017
• April 9, 2003 (United States)
• United States
• Official Site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Network Television
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 43 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Published Apr 9, 2024

From Ensign to Commander Ro: The Essential Ro Laren Watch List

How Ro Laren saved Starfleet by breaking the rules.

StarTrek.com

The Bajoran Ro Laren earned the admiration of Star Trek: The Next Generation viewers by speaking candidly. Without asking for permission.

Born in the year 2340 on Cardassian-occupied Bajor, Ro Laren's earliest memories are of personal and cultural loss. At seven years old, she was forced to watch her father die by interrogation. She spent almost 10 years in and out of refugee camps. Ashamed by what she perceived as Bajoran weakness, Ro Laren grew desperate. Anything was better than watching her people suffer. So, she joined Starfleet.

Ro Laren beams aboard the Enterprise-D, "Ensign Ro"

Ro rose in rank from Ensign to Commander with well-documented authority issues that include a body count and a court martial record. People lived, and died, by her decisions. But despite an open contempt for rank, and her one-time defection to the Maquis, Starfleet command was her natural path. Transformation is one of Ro's attributes.

In honor of the serially disobedient ensign, here are some of Ro Laren’s defining moments on her climb towards Commander.

" Ensign Ro ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 3)

Classic Ro Laren vibes, "Ensign Ro"

You know you’re a Star Trek legend when your debut episode is your name.

Ensign Ro reported for duty on the U.S.S. Enterprise -D under orders from a shifty Admiral Kennelly. Kennelly needed Captain Jean-Luc Picard's help with a revolutionary Bajoran named Orta who was causing trouble for the Cardassians, and now Starfleet, following a recent attack on Federation colony Solarion IV. A diplomatic approach to engage Bajor was suggested, and Kennelly had just the Bajoran for the job. 

Enter disgraced ensign Ro Laren whose name instantly draws anger from Picard. In infamous Starfleet history, Ro's disastrous away mission on Garon II is the stuff of nightmares. According to Starfleet records, eight crew members of the U.S.S. Wellington died because she failed to follow orders. Still, Kennelly insists on Ro's appointment aboard the Enterprise . Guess she’s seriously reformed....

Jean-Luc Picard and Ro Laren at a refugee camp on Valo II, "Ensign Ro"

"Ensign Ro" demonstrates Ro Laren’s greatest asset. Her complete disdain for Starfleet formality means that she has no qualms telling Picard the true score of the Cardassian Occupation. She suggests, forcefully, that Starfleet's "diplomatic" efforts would be better spent in the camps on Valo II. And by episode's end, Ro's authenticity rises to the surface. She is compassionate to Bajor. And she tells the truth, even when it is against protocol or dangerous to do so. 

After Kennelly's underhanded deal with Cardassia is exposed, Ensign Ro tells Picard that she’ll, actually, maybe, stick around. But only if she is allowed to break uniform code by wearing a Bajoran earring .

" Disaster ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 5)

Ro Laren reacts to scenario on the disabled bridge, "Disaster"

Wherein everything that can go wrong, goes wrong. When a catastrophic phenomenon leads to a hull breach and a rapidly deteriorating containment field, only three Enterprise -D crew members are on or near the bridge — highest-ranking officer Counselor Troi, Chief Miles O'Brien, and Ensign Ro. 

Cut and dry Ro recommends a full separation from the Enterprise 's saucer section. Brutal, but hear her out; since no life signs or survivors were detected in the breached area of the ship, a separation maneuver would ensure that the rest of the vessel doesn't imminently combust. Ro Laren — strategist for a disaster.

" The Next Phase ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 24)

Ro Laren and Geordi La Forge touch hands, "The Next Phase"

Ro Laren inhabits the spirit of teamwork in this version of a ghost story. 

After being beamed away during an explosion aboard a Romulan ship, Ensign Ro and Geordi La Forge discover that they are no longer "with the living." Instead, they’re out-of-phase transporter ghosts whose patterns are no longer detectable to the Enterprise crew. While stuck in dematerialized limbo, Ro introduces the idea of them being Borhya , the Bajoran concept for a "spirit." When La Forge offers a scientific solution for their non-state, Ro is quick to problem solve, carrying out an investigation alongside Geordi and Data on the "other side."

By episode end, a corporeally-realized Ro admits that she's been pushed into another way of thinking about life after death. Or, life after traumatic transporter accident.

" Rascals ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 6, Episode 7)

Guinan and Ensign Ro, in their kid form, peek around the corner, "Rascals"

Who knew the Ro Laren watch list includes two transporter accidents?

When Captain Picard, Ro, Guinan, and Keiko O'Brien are regressed to the adolescent ages of 10-12, the scenario is inconvenient. Or… a therapeutic exercise? With a little nudge from Guinan, Ro is able to reclaim the part of her past she described as "long" and "depressing." She even draws a portrait of her mother in crayon.

" Preemptive Strike ," Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 7, Episode 24)

Ro Laren cries over Macias' death, "Preemptive Strike"

Ro Laren, the traitor?

Ro's sympathies to the Maquis, a resistance group opposed to the Occupation, led to her defection from Starfleet in this monumental episode.

Ro's redemptive path under Starfleet had been fought and hard won, and a single, undercover mission alongside a Maquis leader named Macias led to a crisis of faith. While Picard couldn’t recognize her motivations, we understood why Ro defected. She had met a parental figure in Macias, a proud Bajoran who loved spicy hasperat like her dad and had the same appreciation for playing Klavion . Inspired by this leader, Ro reclaimed an identity worth fighting for, like her father once fought for. So, she left for that same cause.

Her only regret, Riker conveyed, was that she had let her captain down. 

" Imposters ," Star Trek: Picard (Season 3, Episode 5)

Ro Laren and Jean-Luc Picard have a frank discussion, "Imposters"

AKA, "How the hell is Ro Laren back in Starfleet?!"

Always capable of a comeback, Ro Laren wore the pips again, this time as a commander in Starfleet Intelligence.

Commander Ro's sacrifice in Star Trek: Picard "Imposters" is a full restoration of her heroic status. True to her nature, she acts boldly and with conviction, engendering trust through uncomplicated honesty. When Ro confides to Admiral Picard that a Changeling infiltration has permeated Starfleet's highest level, he has no choice but to believe her.

There is still a depth of feeling in their relationship, after all — Picard's disappointment over Ro's betrayal, Ro's anger at Picard's righteousness. It's a stalemate of spurned hope, but the important fact remains; Commander Ro’s intelligence, hidden on her signature Bajoran earring , saves Starfleet from what’s to come.

Ro moments before the Changeling bomb is detonated, "Imposters"

"Imposters" is a fittingly complicated end to the life of Ro Laren. To some, she is Starfleet's persona non grata, a habitual rule-breaker whose brashness had led to casualties. To others, her ability to stand and die for a fighting chance, either with Starfleet or the Maquis, makes her a strong contender for best in command.

And her final act is a trademark. After discovering that a Changeling bomb was planted on her shuttle, Admiral Picard orders Ro to turn her vessel around so that she can be beamed to safety.

Commander Ro refuses.

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Robyn Belt is a writer, editor, and journalist (Startrek.com, Marvel.com) who loves thinking about the real and speculative science of Star Trek. DS9, TNG, SNW super-fan. Find her on Twitter @robyn_belt or Threads @robynbelt_.

In addition to streaming on Paramount+ , Star Trek: Picard also streams on Prime Video outside of the U.S. and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Picard is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Star Trek: Discovery’s Season 5 Premiere Easter Egg Explained: Who Are the [Spoiler]?

Keisha hatchett, staff editor.

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Star Trek: Discovery co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman previously told TVLine that the sci-fi drama’s fifth and final season was dependent on a “very significant” Star Trek Easter egg , and we finally know what he meant by that.

The season’s first two episodes, which are now streaming on Paramount+, sent the Discovery crew on one last adventure to find the missing clues spread throughout the galaxy that will lead them to the ancient device used by an ancient species, known as the Progenitors, to create life as we know it.

That Easter egg came into play in the premiere , as outlaws Moll ( Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Eve Harlow) and L’ak ( Shadowhunters ’ Elias Toufexis) stole a tan zhekran — a traditional Romulan puzzle box; Narek (Harry Treadaway) used one as a thinking aid in Star Trek: Picard Season 1 — from an 800-year-old Romulan science vessel.

The Federation was also heavily invested in finding this mystery box, and Dr. Kovich and Admiral Vance remained tightlipped while briefing Burnham on a secretive mission to retrieve it. Captain Burnham nearly caught Moll and L’ak aboard the science vessel but they escaped to the Dune -like planet Q’mau.

There, the fugitive duo convinced a Synth dealer named Fred to open the box under the guise of selling it along with other timeless treasures, including a self-sealing stem bolt (frequently mentioned throughout Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , though their specific use is unclear) and an old tricorder (a hand-held sensor issued by Starfleet that can be used for scanning, recording and analyzing data). 

Dr. Vellek found the ancient humanoids’ life-creating device and recorded everything he knew about it in that diary. He then hid the device sometime before disappearing 800 years ago, and the diary contains important clues — such as the drawing of two moons — to find it.

Book and Burnham tracked Moll and L’ak to Q’mau, where they came upon Fred’s lifeless body. As they continued pursuing the outlaws, Culber, Stamets and Saru examined Fred aboard Discover y and realized that he was built from one of Dr. Soong’s designs.

Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner) created several android prototypes, including Data, Lore and B-4 — all portrayed by Spiner throughout TNG’s seven-season run.

L’ak and Mall again evaded Burnham & Co., but not before starting a catastrophic avalanche that forced the Discovery captain and a frustratingly aggressive Captain Raynor ( The Umbrella Academy’s Callum Keith Rennie) to refocus their efforts on saving a nearby settlement.

When the dust settled, Saru, who’d been thinking over an offer to leave Discovery and become a Federation ambassador, accepted the new position to stay close to President T’Rina. That was met with a surprising proposal from T’Rina, who politely suggested they codify their mutual commitment in a more official capacity.

While the Federation mulled his future, Discovery embarked on a trip to Lyrek in search of another clue. The uninhabited planet was used by the Promellians as a burial ground before the species went extinct. (In the TNG episode “Booby Trap,” we learned that early Federation starships were influenced by their design.)

In their exploration of the forest-heavy planet, Burnham and Saru accidentally tripped a complex security system which launched droids that immediately opened fire. Saru leaped into action, though, drawing the killer bots away and buying Tilly enough time to disarm them. He and Burnham then reached their target location, where they uncovered a Romulan revlav, aka a message in a poem.

While all of that was happening, Book reached out to Moll and L’ak about buying the diary, which he knew would be a hot commodity in the galaxy. But his conversation with the fugitives revealed something else. Studying Moll’s image later on, Book figured out why Moll seemed so familiar. Her real name was Malinne and she was the daughter of his mentor Cleveland Book IV, making her the closest thing to family he has left.

But first, Burnham needed to secure a new Number One. She turned to Raynor, who’d been asked by Vance to retire. In offering him Saru’s old role, she was giving him a second chance — one that had been granted to her back in Season 1.

What did you think of the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery’s final season? Grade them below, and share your thoughts about the overarching mystery in the comments.

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I like Discovery, a lot, but this was a deep cut for anyone not a big fan of the entire Trekverse. Thanks for the recap and the thorough explanation, I know I needed it

Dr. Kovich: Red Directive – Criticial – stop L’ak and Moll at all costs, time is of the essence… Cap’n Burnham: We’ll black alert and our spore drive will have us at Q’mau in a blink… Cap’n Raynor: we’ll use our ancient tech and be there in an hour. Don’t start without me. … cut to Burnham and Book on Q’mau standing on the outskirts of the city waiting for Raynor, having not even attempted to find Fred’s shop or in any other way look for Moll and L’ak or their ship until Raynor joins them. D’oh!

Kudos to the showrunners for these Trekverse nods to the past series. Loved both episodes! Action packed and all in the feels with Michael and Saru (I heart him and T’Rina) on their last mission together, not to mention their goodbye on Discovery. I love their relationship and will miss their convos. Raynor is going to be a very interesting Number One! Enjoying this last Discovery ride through the cosmos!

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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Star Sonequa Martin-Green on the Show’s Unexpected Final Season, the ‘Pressure’ of Representation and Taking the ‘Trek’ Cruise

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Sonequa Martin-Green ’s first memories of “ Star Trek ” are of her parents watching it on TV — but really, they’re of Nichelle Nichols.

“I don’t even know as a child if I knew her real name, but I knew, here’s this beautiful Black woman,” Martin-Green says. “This is Uhura.”

When Martin-Green and her castmates shot Season 5, they didn’t know that it would be the final mission for “Discovery”; the show was well into post-production on the season when Paramount+ made the announcement. But in an uncommon show of goodwill, the streamer and CBS Studios carved out an additional three-day shoot for the series finale so “Discovery” could have a proper send off.

“We wanted to conclude on a high note, and it was so important to honor the series’ incredible legacy and to give it the final season it deserves,” says Jeff Grossman, EVP of Paramount+ programming. “We’re so grateful to the producers for developing an extraordinary coda to bring ‘Discovery’ to a close.”

Remarkably, even though they weren’t designed to be this way, the first four episodes of the season, which Variety has screened, have a striking finality to them. Several characters make momentous life choices while the crew of the USS Discovery embark on a season-long adventure that feels like a culmination of sorts for everything they’ve experienced to that point. 

“I think it will feel like we had baked it from the beginning,” says executive producer and showrunner Michelle Paradise.

What was your very first exposure to “Star Trek”?

I can remember seeing it on the television when I was a kid. I can remember watching my parents watch it. I never sat down to watch it, but I knew what it was. I knew that’s “Star Trek,” that’s Nichelle Nichols. I don’t even know as a child if I knew her real name, but I knew here’s this beautiful Black woman. This is Uhura. I remember LeVar Burton. It’s interesting — I have flashes of a few people, but the two of them are the most prevalent in my memory.

Recently, Paramount+ posted a fascinating conversation between you and “Lower Decks” star Tawny Newsome , and one thing you discussed was how you’ve realized that, early on in the show, you took on too much responsibility. How did that manifest for you?

It was present when we were all establishing this culture of family on the set. I knew that that was exceedingly important, invaluable even, and everyone agreed with me. So I was mindful of that as we were going along.

But also it affected me in my work between action and cut, honestly. I felt so much pressure. Most of it I had put on myself. It needed to be perfect, and it needed to be right, and I needed to do it justice, and I needed to, I needed to, I needed to. It was very much, I must, I must, I must.

You can’t stay in the place that I was in because it is stagnating, and it does stifle your creativity. Thankfully, it was able to pass through me. It took time, longer than I thought it would take, but it did eventually get to where I finally could be authentic without that pressure.

Was part of that pressure because of this franchise’s history of breaking ground in representation with Nichelle Nichols and George Takei?

Oh, yeah. George Takei, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew. That’s exactly why. We knew that [“Star Trek”] was an heirloom, and to me it was heavy at first. At the time, I was still dealing with a great deal of internalized racism as well, so there was the imposter syndrome. There was the idea that I needed to prove that I deserve to be there, that I needed to make those who came before me proud, that I needed to prove my worth to them because of what had already been accomplished, because I knew that I was there largely because of them.

Of course, I knew that God had placed me there as well. I was always very clear about that, but I knew that they had paved the path that I was walking on. It was very much that I need to be perfect because of who came before me and what they accomplished.

How often are you meeting fans for whom “Discovery” is their first “Star Trek”?

What do they say to you?

They’ll say, “You’re my ‘Trek.’” And that could bring a tear to my eye, because that’s the whole point of this.

How do they say they came to the show?

There’s a little bit of everything. I get people saying, “I watched you on ‘Walking Dead,’ and then when I saw that you were on this, I decided to watch this, and now I’m watching other ‘Treks.’” Some people will say, “My sibling or parent or spouse or best friend was watching it and encouraged me to watch it.” I’ve heard, “I was there from the very beginning. I watched the original series when it was on television.” Of course, these people are typically in their early seventies, and they’ll say, “But I love ‘Discovery.’ Thank you for bringing ‘Trek’ back.”

I’ve been in tears with people before, because they’ll say, “This was what me and my dad shared,” or, “This is what me and my grandmother shared before they left.” Or they’ll say, “‘Discovery’ actually brought my family back together. There’s not very many things that we agree on, but we come together every week as a family to watch ‘Discovery.’” I’ve had more than one person say that to me.

You were just on the official “Star Trek” cruise — were you having those kinds of interactions often with fans?

Oh, yes. The thing about the cruise is that everybody’s there for the same reason. Usually, when I meet people at conventions, they could be there for lots of things. But on the cruise, it’s pointed. It is about this .

What are you doing on the cruise? What is your day like?

Oh, you’re doing all kinds of things. You’re playing a lot of games. There’s karaoke, there’s interviews. You’re also doing things like sushi making, wine tasting. There are variety shows at night. There’s sketch shows, there’s performances, there’s music, there’s concerts. Anthony Rapp did a concert. Tawny and Eugene [Cordero] did some improv. It’s all kinds of everything. 

How much interaction do you have with “Star Trek” alumni who you’d not met before?

More than I was expecting and more than I typically have. We see each other at events here and there. But I was really moved by being able to be with other people from the iterations. What really struck me was, man, I talk a lot about the family of “Star Trek: Discovery.”

But I realized on the cruise how every iteration was its own family. We learned a lot about the “Next Gen” family through Jonathan Frakes, who’s one of our most beloved directors of “Discovery.” He took us under his wing, and he would talk to us about how they were such a family. But being able to see it, it’s different.

There’s an intimacy between “Star Trek” actors and the fandom that isn’t nearly as present for other franchises — like, Ewan McGregor isn’t going on a “Star Wars” cruise. What has it been like stepping into that aspect of it? 

The fans would yell out to us at press events, at panels, “Welcome to the family!” I just met a group of ladies just a couple of months ago at a convention who said, “We only know each other because of ‘Discovery,’ but we are now like family.” That happens a lot. But it is overwhelming, too. It makes you feel that much more responsible for the story.

There are also fans who are the opposite, who’ve said, “You’re not my ‘Star Trek,’” or “This isn’t how ‘Star Trek’ should be.” What has that experience been like for you?

It is something that we have to contend with, especially in the beginning. We never allowed it to discourage us, because we understood their point of view. We would discuss these things on set all the time, because we felt as if we were caught in a kind of whirlwind. But this is an intelligent group of people. They are loyal, and they’re speaking from their hearts. They had issues, and rightfully so. They were justified to have their points of view.

It’s always hard for a new iteration of “Trek.” Apparently, this is a sort of rite of passage, to have a little bit of a rocky beginning. This is what we’ve heard from other iterations, that it took a second for the audience to grab ahold of them. That was the case for us as well. 

They did not like how futuristic we were — that’s a broad term. They didn’t like that I was at the helm. They didn’t like all the representation. They didn’t like the look of the Klingons. They didn’t like how advanced our tech was. But we had to say, “Well, but this isn’t 1966.” I remember hearing one person say that “Trek” is supposed to make you look forward, and that’s what we were doing. But it was hard for people at first to wrap their brains around it — or, really, I guess I should say, wrap their hearts around it.

You finished shooting Season 5 before Paramount+ decided it was going to be the final season — how did it feel when that announcement was made?

I kept thinking about how culminating the story seemed. It is so conclusive in a way, is it not?

It really is.

But we just thought, “Hey, see you for Season 6, and we will go even bigger.” So when I got the news, it was bittersweet and shocking. But I always felt a great sense of peace about it, and just gratitude and accomplishment and achievement.

I’m so happy we were able to go back for the coda, that Michelle Paradise and [executive producer] Alex Kurtzman really fought for that and CBS [Studios] said yes. We were able to have that real experience of, “Oh, this is the last time we’ll ever do that.” It felt like a gift. I don’t know if we needed it, but man, we really appreciated it.

The next series, “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” is set in the 32nd Century, contemporaneous to “Discovery.” Are you anticipating Michael Burnham making an appearance on that show?

Finally, while I was visiting the “Section 31” set for the cover story, I saw the cast and crew participate in what they called the Crew Appreciation Award — at the start of each day, everyone gathered around, and one member of the crew gave the award to someone else on the crew, and the following day, that person passed the award on to a new crew member. When I asked Alex Kurtzman how it started, he said I should ask you about it. What is it?

Aw! That almost makes me want to cry! That’s great to hear. I didn’t know that. OK, so, Crew Appreciation started in Season 1. A director came in — I don’t want to get his name wrong, so I won’t even say — and he said that this was something that he had come across in his travels. At the time, it was this neon construction vest, and you would pass it crew to crew. And I thought, “What a lovely thing. Let’s do that here. But it can’t be a vest because that’s cumbersome. So it’ll be a medal.” I bought some clay, and shaped it into a medal, and then I painted it gold and put a strap on it. 

And then what was so endearing is everybody added something to that medal. Costumes put a fabric backing on it, and then lighting put a lighting strip around the edge. Everybody just kept adding little pieces to it. We would do it every single day. It was a big part of our show’s culture. Some people would be embarrassed and they would say, “Thank you guys so much. Can you please just not clap for me?” So we would be like, “Got it, we will appreciate you in silence today.” But it was always so fun. One of my favorite things.

Where’s that medal now?

We don’t know! The last time somebody saw it, we hung it up in Stage 4, and we were like, “It’ll be waiting for us [for Season 5].” When we went back, it wasn’t there anymore. So it’s somewhere at Pinewood Studios. As we were shooting Season 5, we ended up 3D printing another one. Maybe we’ll have to have a scavenger hunt reunion one day.

This interview has been edited and condensed .

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Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 1 ending & tng treasure explained.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere dropped a bombshell that ties all the way back to Star Trek: The Next Generation. We break it down.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 1 - "Red Directive"

• Star Trek: Discovery season 5 reveals a bombshell treasure hunt that ties back to Star Trek: TNG "The Chase."
• Mysterious villains Moll and L'ak create chaos, leaving behind a trail of destruction on Kumal.
• Captain Saru to become a Federation Ambassador, leading to the first Kelpien-Vulcan wedding in Star Trek history.

The ending of Star Trek: Discovery 's exhilarating season 5 premiere dropped a jaw-dropping bombshell that the treasure Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is hunting for comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 20, "The Chase." Written by Discovery showrunner Michelle Paradise and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Discovery 's season 5 premiere, "Red Directive," introduces three new major characters, the villains Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), and Starfleet Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), and sets up Discovery season 5 as a sequel to the classic TNG episode about who created humanoid life in the galaxy - and how .

Moll and L'ak escaped the clutches of Captain Burnham, Captain Rayner, and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) on the desert world of Q'Mau. After a synthetic merchant named Fred (J. Adam Brown) opened a Romulan puzzle box Moll and L'ak stole from an 800-year-old Romulan starship , Fred double-crossed Moll and L'ak and was killed by the renegade lovers. L'ak and Moll then detonated an explosive in the mountains, creating an avalanche. The combined shields of the USS Discovery and the USS Antares protected the people of Kumal, but Moll and L'ak escaped with the Romulans' journal. However, Captain Burnham knows more than the rogues do about the treasure thanks to Discovery's crew. And, as Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) said, the answers are wild.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 - Everything We Know

Star trek: discovery season 5's treasure & progenitors explained, who were the progenitors in star trek: tng's "the chase".

"The greatest treasure in the known galaxy" in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is the technology Ancient Humanoids used to create sentient humanoid life. A hologram of an Ancient Humanoid (Salome Jens) was encountered by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), members of the USS Enterprise-D crew, as well as a group of Romulans, Klingons, and Cardassians in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase". The Ancient Humanoid revealed that her long-dead race seeded the galaxy billions of years ago to create humanoid life forms in their image, and that the humanoid species in Star Trek 's galaxy share a common ancestry.

"The Chase" was Star Trek: The Next Generation 's attempt to explain why so many aliens in Star Trek are essentially humans with bumpy foreheads and physical variations.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere reveals that the United Federation of Planets and Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) dubbed the Ancient Humanoids "The Progenitors". 800 years ago, a Romulan scientist named Dr. Vellek (Michael Copeman) found and hid the Progenitors' technology, which can literally create life and would be catastrophic if it fell into the wrong hands . However, Moll and L'ak (and, logically, whoever hired them) learned about the Progenitors' technology. The ability to create, and possibly destroy, humanoid species is an existential threat to the galaxy, which is why the Federation needs Captain Burnham to find it first.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere, President T'Rina (Tara Rosling) said the Tholian Republic and the Breen Imperium are rising, and they could be looking for the Progenitors' technology.

Moll & L'ak Keep Escaping, But Who Are They?

Star trek: discovery's new villains are a mystery..

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's version of Bonnie and Clyde, the villainous Moll and L'ak are mysterious former couriers who have had several past encounters with Captain Rayner of the USS Antares. Moll is human but L'ak is an unknown species with no known information in the Federation database. They are also hired guns, so they must have an employer yet to be revealed.

While little is revealed about Moll and L'ak, what is clear is they are lovers with deep affection for each other. Cleveland Booker doesn't know Moll and L'ak from his years as a courier, but he could tell by the way they escaped from the USS Discovery and USS Antares that L'ak and Moll are in love and are having fun together. In a way, Moll and L'ak are an echo of what Book and Michael Burnham were like when they were couriers traveling the galaxy together in the year before the USS Discovery arrived in the 32nd century.

Saru Will Become A Federation Ambassador & Marry T'Rina

Wedding bells are coming to star trek: discovery..

Captain Saru accepts Federation President Laira Rillak's (Chelah Horsdal) offer to become a Federation Ambassador. Saru has been serving as First Officer of the USS Discovery despite his higher rank since Star Trek: Discovery season 4, but being Captain Burnham's Number One is not really a role that utilizes the Kelpien's skills and potential. Saru also chose to leave Discovery and become an Ambassador to be closer to his love, President T'Rina.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 will soon have the first Kelpien-Vulcan wedding and the first wedding between 2 major Star Trek characters in 22 years.

Originally, T'Rina told Saru not to factor her into his decision to take the Ambassador position, but she actually wanted Saru to leave Discovery, which would allow them to spend more time together. And T'rina went a step further and proposed to Saru in a very Vulcan-like fashion, suggesting they "codify our mutual agreement in a more official capacity". Saru seemed to say yes, which means Star Trek: Discovery season 5 will soon have the first Kelpien-Vulcan wedding and the first wedding between 2 major Star Trek characters in 22 years since Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) married Deanna Tro i (Marina Sirtis) in Star Trek: Nemesis.

Burnham & Book Are Still Broken Up

They should have called each other..

Star Trek: Discovery 's top love story, Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker , didn't quite heat up in season 5's premiere. Burnham and Book have been separated (but with no hard feelings) ever since Book commenced his penance for the Federation after breaking multiple laws to destroy the Dark Matter Anomaly in Star Trek: Discovery season 4. Burnham turned to Book for his courier expertise to help her catch Moll and L'ak , and if she's honest, because she wanted to see Book again.

Michael and Book agreed not to restart their relationship.

Book remains penitent and is committed to righting his wrongs with the Federation and with Michael, but there is now an understandable awkwardness between them. Book has a role to play on the USS Discovery as long as Moll and L'ak are at large , but on Kumal, Michael and Book agreed not to restart their relationship. However, this isn't the end of Burnham and Booker's love story, and it's hard to imagine they won't get back together at some point in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Captain Rayner Is No Fan Of Burnham

What is rayner's problem.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduced Callum Keith Rennie's Captain Rayner of the USS Antares as a new series regular character, and he brings a new dynamic to the show. Gruff, impatient, and no-nonsense, Rayner evokes previous hardliner Star Trek Captains like Captain Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox) in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Rayner is also resentful of Captain Burnham for some reason , and he finds humor in mocking Michael, asserting his command authority, and countermanding her orders.

Rayner seems jealous of the USS Discovery's spore drive, and he mentions his displeasure that he doesn't have a Pathway Drive on the USS Antares.

Although it wasn't mentioned or factored into Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere, Captain Rayner is a Kellerun , a species first introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2's "Armageddon Game". Rayner's interest in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is fulfilling his Red Directive mission objective, which is retrieving the treasure, as well as capturing Moll and L'ak, whom he has tangled with before. There is plenty more to learn about Captain Rayner in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Star Trek: Discovery Now Has Their Own Data

Fred could be good for commander paul stamets..

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere introduced Fred, a Soong-type synthetic who is a merchant and fence on the planet Q'Mau. Fred obviously evokes the most famous Soong android, Data (Brent Spiner), which is another link between Star Trek: Discovery season 5 and Star Trek: The Next Generation , L'ak and Moll killed Fred after he double-crossed them, but after Fred's body was beamed onto the USS Discovery's medical bay, Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) determined from his serial number, AS-7502Y, that Fred was built from the design of Dr. Altan Inigo Soong (Brent Spiner) from Star Trek: Picard .

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere, Stamets lamented the Federation's scuttling the spore drive program in favor of the Pathway Drive . Although Fred was "killed", it's possible Stamets and his husband, Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), can reactivate Fred. The 600-plus-year-old android may contain other secrets and answer many questions about events between Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery 's era. There are intriguing possibilities for Fred in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 , and it would be odd if Fred really is dead after his lone appearance.

The USS Discovery is now "one of a kind" since it has the only working spore drive in existence.

The Next Clue In Discovery's Treasure Hunt

Discovery is going to a planet with twin moons..

The USS Discovery's next stop on the treasure hunt in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons," is Lyrek, a planet in the Vileen system, on the outer sector of the Beta Quadrant, that has 3 moons, 2 of which move in perfect sync. Captain Burnham figured this out after seeing images of Dr. Vellek's Romulan diary pages retrieved from Fred's database. One of the pages had a circular image which could be a literal treasure map, and the clues point to the Vileen system and the planet with twin moons . What Burnham will find on Lyrek remains to be seen in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, but the chase is on to answer one of the biggest questions left behind by Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is streaming on Paramount+