TWITrek Character Insight No. 41: Janice Rand

This is the latest installment in a series of "Character Insight" articles regarding the rich history of characters in the Star Trek universe.  An audio version will appear on the This Week in Trek podcast, available for direct download here.
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Welcome back to Character Insight!  This week, our subject is Janice Rand from TOS.
 


Janice Rand served as yeoman for the Enterprise under Captain Kirk. Despite being on the show for only the first season, Rand remains one of the most popular characters from the original series, likely because she was one of the nicest people serving on the ship and a love interest for Captain Kirk.

The role of yeoman was a personal or clerical assistant for the commanding officer, and this role largely disappeared beyond The Original Series and its movies. Gene Roddenberry envisioned the role being filled by an attractive young woman, which may be reflective of the times in the 1960's, but Rand is the only major character featured in this role that is a female.

Indeed, Captain Pike and Captain Kirk both make comments that indicate that the role of yeoman is more typically filled by male crewmen. However, Rand brings some further diversity to the bridge crew, something that was highly valued in the process of making Star Trek TOS.

Although Rand clearly has feelings for the Captain, Kirk cannot reciprocate those feelings openly due to his supervisory role on the ship. His true feelings were perhaps revealed during the episode The Enemy Within, in which an evil duplicate of Kirk forcibly tries to make love to Rand while noting he has suppressed his feelings for too long.

Rand transferred off the ship after the first season, but that was not the last seen of the character. She reappeared as an officer during the movies, eventually taking the role of communications officer aboard Excelsior when Sulu captains the ship.

Our notable quote this week comes from the episode Corbomite Maneuver:
Dr. McCoy: [Rand enters the bridge carrying a tray] I thought the power was off in the galley?
Yeoman Rand: I used a hand phaser, and zap! Hot coffee.
 
Actor: Grace Lee Whitney played Yeoman Rand. Whitney played small roles in a lot of television series from the 1950's and 1960's, including 77 Sunset Strip. Whitney began her career as a vocalist, opening for acts such as Billie Holliday and Buddy Rich.

Until next time, live long and prosper...

TWITrek Character Insight No. 40: Hoshi Sato

This is the latest installment in a series of "Character Insight" articles regarding the rich history of characters in the Star Trek universe.  An audio version will appear on the This Week in Trek podcast, available for direct download here.
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Welcome back to Character Insight!  This week, our subject is Hoshi Sato from Enterprise.
 


Sato is an Asian-American linguist who serves as the communications officer aboard Enterprise under Captain Archer. Hoshi begins as an ensign but becomes the first officer to hold the rank of lieutenant commander while serving on the Enterprise.

Sato is prone to fearful fits and can be ineffectual when not dealing with her passion of linguistics.  She therefore serves as the "resident screamer" aboard the ship whenever danger is encountered by the crew. Sato is very isolated and does not become very close to anyone, but she chooses to study and work with languages in an effort to make connections with other people and cultures.

Sato was the first human to become fluent in Klingonese, which was an important reason why she was chosen for the crew. Sato also was a key contributor in improving the universal translator and making it the crucial tool used by most later generations of Star Trek crews.

The name Hoshi means "star" in Japanese, and the name Sato is the most common Japanese surname and it means "home or village."  Therefore, Hoshi Sato's name literally means "at home in the stars," a fitting name for a Starfleet officer.

Our notable quote this week comes from the episode Fight or Flight:
Ensign Hoshi Sato: I'm a translator; I didn't come out here to see corpses hanging on hooks.
Dr. Phlox: It goes without saying that you're going to encounter the unexpected.
Ensign Hoshi Sato: Not corpses on hooks!
 
Actor: Linda Park played Sato, and she can also be seen in movies like Jurassic Park 3 and the upcoming Look of Love, as well as in select episodes of NCIS, The Mentalist, and House M.D.

Until next time, live long and prosper...

TWITrek Character Insight No. 39: Seska

This is the latest installment in a series of "Character Insight" articles regarding the rich history of characters in the Star Trek universe.  An audio version will appear on the This Week in Trek podcast, available for direct download here.
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Welcome back to Character Insight!  This week, our subject is Seska from Voyager.
 


Seska was a Cardassian operative who was surgically altered to appear Bajoran so that she could infiltrate the Maquis.  Seska happens to be aboard Chakotay's ship the Val Jean when it is thrown into the Delta Quadrant with the Voyager.  Seska then becomes a part of the Voyager crew for a short time.

Although Seska was close friends with B'Elanna Torres and formerly romantically attached to Chakotay, she bristled far more than the other former Maquis at the principles and operations of the Federation starship. As a result of this distaste, she secretly collaborates with the first major recurring villains of the show, the Kazon, in an effort to get herself back home to the Alpha Quadrant. 

This deceit continues until she is critically injured during one exchange, leading to the revelation that she is Cardassian and her escape to be a consort of a Kazon sect leader named Culluh. She then serves as a primary villain against Voyager for most of the first two seasons of the show, including a temporary Kazon takeover of Voyager in the episode, The Basics.

Seska remains infatuated with Chakotay even after she departs Voyager, going to great lengths to lure him in and get herself impregnated with his DNA.  Although it appears that she actually had the baby of the Kazon Culluh rather than Chakotay, the end result for the baby after Seska is killed is never revealed.

Seska was apparently granted a field commission of ensign aboard voyager, but her rank insignia is inconsistent with this.  The insignia she wears is that of an enlisted personnel, like Miles O'Brien.

Our notable quote this week comes from the episode State of Flux:
"We are alone here, at the mercy of any number of hostile aliens, because of the incomprehensible decision of a Federation captain - a Federation captain who destroyed our only chance to get home. Federation rules! Federation nobility! Federation compassion? Do you understand, if this had been a Cardassian ship, we would be home now! We must begin to forge alliances. To survive, we must have powerful friends. The Kazon-Nistrim were willing to be our protectors, in return for some minor technology."
 
Actress: Martha Hackett played Seska, and she can also be seen in movies such as Never Been Kissed and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.  Clearly, she's a valentine's day favorite.

Until next time, live long and prosper...

TWITrek Character Insight No. 38: Jake Sisko

This is the latest installment in a series of "Character Insight" articles regarding the rich history of characters in the Star Trek universe.  An audio version will appear on the This Week in Trek podcast, available for direct download here.
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Welcome back to Character Insight!  This week, our subject is Jake Sisko from DS9.
 


Jake is the son of Starfleet Captain Benjamin Sisko, and he grows up during the elder Sisko's service aboard the Deep Space Nine station. Although Ben Sisko wants his son to follow his steps into Starfleet, Jake follows his own path and becomes a writer, a profession he is passionate about.


Early in the DS9 series, Jake plays many similar roles as the Wesley Crusher character did, including being the accidental or unexpected hero on multiple occasions. However, Jake gets more depth thanks to the friendship with Nog, Quark's nephew who is also aboard the station. Jake and Nog even helped save his father from the Jem'Hadar during an initial encounter with that species.


Jake remains aboard the station as a Federation News Service reported covering the Dominion War, even when the Dominion takes over the station. Although Jake only appears in 71 episodes overall, which is 20 less than Morn, he is a regular character in all seven seasons of DS9.


As noted above, Jake loves writing and this includes poetry. Jake also enjoys cooking and baseball, which are activities that he did frequently with his father while growing up as an army brat. After becoming friends with Nog, the duo often plays dom-jot together as well.

Jake is one of only two characters since TNG to not appear as a hologram on a show. He is also the only member of the DS9 to not have a mirror universe counterpart.

Our notable quote this week comes from the episode Second Sight:
Jake Sisko: Dad - are you in love?
Commander Sisko: What?
Jake Sisko: You know, with a woman. You're showing all three of the signs.
Commander Sisko: Signs?
Jake Sisko: The ones that Nog told me about: loss of appetite, daydreaming, smiling all the time...
 
Actor: Cirroc Lofton played Jake in all episodes except as a child in Emissary and as an old man in the episode The Visitor. Lofton mostly played small guest roles in many TV shows outside Star Trek, including Soul Food, 7th Heaven, and CSI: Miami.

Until next time, live long and prosper...

TWITrek Character Insight No. 37: Tasha Yar

This is the latest installment in a series of "Character Insight" articles regarding the rich history of characters in the Star Trek universe.  An audio version will appear on the This Week in Trek podcast, available for direct download here.
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Welcome back to Character Insight!  This week, our subject is Tasha Yar from TNG.
 


Tasha served as Chief Tactical Officer and Chief of Security on the Enterprise-D for most of the first season of the show. She also served as a love interest for Data, going so far as to have sex with the android while under the effects of polywater intoxication.

However, her role was not to last long, as she died near the end of the first season by a mysterious tar creature named Armus on an away mission. Yar did return multiple times throughout the remainder of the series to play alternate timeline versions of herself as well as a half-Romulan daughter.

Yar had a troubled childhood, which led her to relate to Worf a lot. She was an orphan who had to escape rape gangs frequently while also dabbling in drug use until her escape from her home planet. Yar enjoyed martial arts, especially aikido. She was also shown to enjoy Parrises squares as well.

Yar was the first main character to be killed without resurrection, and was also the first regular character to depart a Star Trek series while in production. The episode Symbiosis was filmed after the episode where Yar dies, so there is a scene where Yar waves goodbye to her fans in the background in Symbiosis. The character of Yar was based on space marine Vasquez in the movie Aliens.

Our notable quote this week comes from the episode Skin of Evil:
"My friend Data. You see things with the wonder of a child. And that makes you more human than any of us."
 
Actor: Denise Crosby played Yar, although she originally auditioned for Deanna Troi and Marina Sirtis auditioned for this role. Crosby also played in horror movies Pet Sematary and Child's Play, as well as guesting on JAG and Dexter.

Until next time, live long and prosper...