Character Insight No. 129: David Marcus

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, we jump back to the Star Trek movies with a look at David Marcus, the son of Captain Kirk who appears in The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock.
 
 
 ("That hair, though...hello 80's") 


David is the son of James Kirk and Dr. Carol Marcus, but he grows up in a single parent environment because Carol had split from Kirk and had banned him from being involved in his life. As a result, David becomes a scientist engaged in the research projects of his mother. 

While working on Project Genesis with Carol, David shows impatience with the process and adds protomatter to help speed positive results along. This works, but the protomatter also made the Genesis device highly unstable. When Khan lures Admiral Kirk to David and Carol's location under the guise of Kirk taking away the Genesis device, David initially engages in an argument and near fight with Kirk. When Carol intervened, Kirk guessed correctly that David was his son, which is the first time David knew his father.

David quickly turns his opinion around on his father though, thanks to watching him in action while serving as a technical advisor during the battle with Khan. He indicates this process makes his happy to be Kirk's son, although he is likely just as happy to finally understand his heritage and who both his parents are.

Quote: "I'm proud, very proud, to be your son."

David then serves on the Genesis planet with Lt. Saavik to study the effects of the terraforming project, and he discovers to his disappointment that the protomatter he added causes massive environmental instability. He does discover young Spock with Saavik though.

When Klingons arrive and demand the Genesis Device, David ends up sacrificing himself to save Saavik and young Spock's life. David's hot-headed nature and impatience likely stem from his father, and they sadly lead to some failures in Genesis and his death, just after discovering his heritage. The decision to sacrifice himself also leads to trouble for Kirk a few movies later, when his prejudice against Klingons for killing his son help lead to his framing and conviction for murder of a Klingon leader.

David was originally scripted to have a love interest or fling with Saavik, but the evidence of this was cut from what was filmed. Therefore, his legacy is slightly lessened from what it could have been, but he still plays a key role in the character development of Kirk during the movies. David's character allows us to view a glimpse of a different side of Kirk and a family life he was forced not to lead, and that makes him a valuable addition to the movies.

Merritt Butrick played David Marcus, and he was also known for playing in the 80's teen sitcom Square Pegs around the same time of his appearance in The Wrath of Khan. Just like the character he portrayed in Trek, Butrick tragically died in 1989 at the young age of 29 from toxoplasmosis complicated by AIDS, but his legacy lives on in the Final Frontier.

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Feedback can be sent to me with future segment suggestions on Twitter @BuckeyeFitzy. Until next time, live long and prosper...

Character Insight No. 127: Keiko O'Brien

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, we go from one TNG love interest to another, with a profile on Keiko O'Brien, a recurring character who appeared on TNG and Deep Space Nine.
 
 
 ("The woman behind Miles O'Brien, the guy who showed up in so many episodes of two different series!") 


Keiko serves as a civilian botanist aboard Starfleet vessels like the Enterprise-D. During her time aboard the Enterprise, Data sets her up for a date with transporter chief Miles O'Brien. That leads to a healthy relationship which eventually is consummated in a wedding conducted by Captain Picard. Miles and Keiko also welcome their first child Molly into the world while he is on the Enterprise, although it is during a crisis so Keiko has to be instructed by Worf on how to give birth 
("you may now give birth." - Disaster)

Perhaps as a result of her nature-based profession and Japanese heritage, Keiko loves to cook and especially dishes with seafood and plants like plankton loaf, much to the chagrin of her meat and potatoes loving husband Miles. Keiko also helped her grandmother with her calligraphy during youth in Japan, establishing one of many parts of a strong heritage she calls upon in her various roles in space.

Keiko actually does not make many appearances in TNG, although she is one of the central characters who gets turned into a child version of themselves in one of the worst episodes of this series Rascals. Thankfully, she is spared from continued silliness aboard Enterprise when she has to follow Miles when he is reassigned to Deep Space Nine. 

She opens a school on board the station, as there is no need for a botanist. However, she eventually closes this down after the school gets bombed and focuses on mothering Molly and pursuing other passions, like a six-month agrobiology expedition on Bajor. This also leads to her and Miles having a second child, although complications with the pregnancy forces the fetus to be transferred and carried in Major Kira's womb to ensure Keiko and Kirayoshi would survive. 

Her best episode is possibly Armageddon Game, where her knowledge of her husband Miles leads her to the conclusion that a security tape before he was allegedly killed in a weapon explosion is faked. That episode and her support of Miles in the episode Hard Time when he adjusts to returning to normal life after his mind is put through a life-time prison sentence shows the amazing strength and struggles many of us face in the long journey of marriage.

From the episode Armageddon Game:
Chief O'Brien: You know... I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee right now.
Keiko O'Brien: [surprised] Miles, you never drink coffee in the afternoon.
Chief O'Brien: Sure I do!
Keiko O'Brien: [stunned] You do?

Rosalind Chao played Keiko O'Brien, and she perhaps had even bigger hits in 80's appearances on After MASH as Klinger's wife and on Different Strokes. She's had smaller TV roles recently such as on The Neighbors and Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23.

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Feedback can be sent to me with future segment suggestions on Twitter @BuckeyeFitzy. Until next time, live long and prosper...