star trek captains female

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Star Trek: A History of Female Starfleet Captains on TV

As Star Trek: Discovery readies for production, we look back at the franchise's varied history of women Starfleet commanders...

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Star Trek: Discovery   launches this Sunday, continuing on the tradition of depicting women in high-power roles. Not only will Sonequa Martin-Green star as the show’s main character, First Officer Michael Burnham, but Michelle Yeoh will be appearing as Captain Georgiou.

As we head into Star Trek’s next era, let’s take a look back at its history — the good, the bad, and the ugly — of representing women in positions of power. Here are the woman who have either held the rank of Captain or who have commanded a starship on screen in the  Star Trek   universe.

Star Trek has always had the best of intentions when it comes to its portrayal of female characters, even when the attitudes of the times (such as the studio’s request for the removal of Majel Barrett’s female Number One following the original pilot episode) or sheer circumstance (Denise Crosby leaving The Next Generation , resulting in a regular cast made up of five men and only two women, both in broadly care-giving roles) have been against it.

Unfortunately, the first instance of a woman taking command of a starship on screen was, shall we say, not good. In fact, it was very, very bad. Awful. No amount of excusing it on the grounds of it being the 1960s can possibly make up for the portrayal of Dr. Janice Lester in what was, sadly, the last episode of The Original Series broadcast during its original television run.

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Granted, she was supposed to be insane when she swapped bodies with Captain Kirk so that she could command a starship, but the problems with her command are clearly indicated in the dialogue to be at least partly due to her gender, and the nature of her “insanity,” largely expressed in excessive emotion and what Doctor McCoy refers to outright as “hysteria,” a word that comes from the ancient Greek word for “womb,” clearly relates her inability to command to her femininity.

Kirk finishes the series by lamenting that “her life could have been as rich as any woman’s” — but not, apparently, as rich as any man’s.

Fortunately, the next on screen portrayal of a woman in command of a starship is more positive, and it is perhaps not a coincidence that it occurs in The Animated Series , which was executive produced by a woman, D. C. Fontana. The episode “The Lorelai Signal” itself is, it has to be said, not much less sexist than “Turnabout Intruder,” focusing on a race of space sirens who call to and then drain the life force from men (no word on whether homosexual female crew members are affected because it’s still only 1973 and the show will not yet acknowledge their existence).

With the men trapped in a future episode of Red Dwarf , Lt. Uhura, the highest-ranking female on the ship, takes command. The story may be ridiculous and the situation tied up in ideas about gender and sex that literally go back to ancient Greece, but it’s a rather wonderful moment all the same. Uhura’s look to the side as she takes command, while constrained by the cheap animation, is rather fabulous.

The five characters to lead a Star Trek series so far have been three white heterosexual men, one black heterosexual man, and one white heterosexual woman, carefully allowing only one deviation from “white heterosexual man” at a time, but the franchise has been more willing to embrace diversity in its minor characters.

The first female captain we see on screen is, like Uhura, a woman of color, the unnamed captain of the starship Saratoga in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Her appearance now, along with the also non-white Captain of the starship Yorktown, seems almost routine, but at the time it was still unusual to see a woman of color (or a man of color, for that matter) portrayed in such a position, and demonstrated a clear commitment to Star Trek ’s ideals on the part of the production.

As time moved on, and Star Trek: The Next Generation went into production in the late 1980s and early 1990s, we started to see women of higher rank more often. Interestingly, several early examples bear the rank of Captain or Admiral, but are rarely seen actually commanding starships; Picard’s old flame, for example, Captain Phillipa Louvois, commands the Judge Advocate General office in “The Measure Of A Man.”

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It’s a shame we never got to see more of Lt Commander Shelby’s career on screen beyond “The Best Of Both Worlds,” as this character really showed how far things had progressed since Janice Lester in 1969; a female officer openly aiming to become a starship captain, who is perfectly capable and whose story could just as easily have featured a male officer, because none of her characterization (beyond a tiny bit of perving on her from an older officer that she has no control over) is tied to her gender.

The Next Generation introduced the only example so far of a woman bearing the rank of Captain who has been assigned to command a starship named Enterprise; Captain Rachel Garrett, Captain of the Enterprise-C, seen in “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” a tough and likeable character who we actually get to see in action as a starship commander.

Garrett’s actions and choices, unbeknownst to her, saved the Federation and the Klingons from years of warfare, and she is on her way to repeating the feat when she’s unfortunately spiked in the head in the line of duty. Like Shelby, Garrett’s character and story have nothing to do with her gender, and we finally get to see a woman command the Enterprise without requiring dire circumstances to gain the position.

The series also provided opportunities for both its remaining regular female characters to take command. Captain Beverley Picard (formerly Crusher) commands the starship Pasteur in an alternate future in the series finale “All Good Things,” but the really interesting example is Lt. Commander Deanna Troi’s brief stint in command of the Enterprise in “Disaster.”

Troi is manifestly unprepared for this responsibility, not because she is a woman, but because she is a counselor and unused to making life or death decisions, despite her high rank, though she manages to rise to the occasion in the end.

The writing carefully ensures, unlike “Turnabout Intruder,” that none of this can be attributed to femininity by giving the emotional, please-save-everyone argument (the McCoy argument) to the male Chief O’Brien, whose wife and almost-born child are trapped in the other part of the ship, while the cold, logical, cut-our-losses argument (the Spock argument) is put forward by the female, battle-scarred Ensign Ro.

When The Next Generation ended, we finally got a chance to see a Star Trek series headed by a woman, as Captain Kathryn Janeway commanded the starship Voyager for seven years of television.

Millions of bad jokes about the only female starship captain getting lost, complaints about inconsistent characterisation and her almost Kirk-like ability to do diplomacy by flirting cannot take away the fact that any time we see an alternate future featuring a “Captain Chakotay,” we know something is very wrong (Janeway’s reappearance among the living in the backwards episode “Before And After” is a great moment).

Meanwhile,  Deep Space Nine , running throughout the end of The Next Generation and the beginning of Voyager , semi-regularly featured female guest captains, as well as having Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax command the starship Defiant.

Back in “Turnabout Intruder,” Janice Lester had told Kirk: “Your world of starship captains doesn’t admit women,” implying that in the progressive, far-flung future of the 23rd century, women were barred from this position until at least the time of Star Trek IV .

Luckily, of course, Enterprise has since corrected this impression, leaving fans to assume that Lester was referring to a glass ceiling rather than a concrete ban, one which could be borne out by the lack of any other female starship captains seen on screen during that time (or, of course, they choose to ignore the episode all together, probably wisely).

Like Janice Lester and Phillipa Louvois, Captain Erika Hernandez is an old flame of the current male lead/Captain of the Enterprise, but she seems to have survived Archer dumping her due to a conflict of interest following his promotion and represents a very rare thing indeed – a recurring female Captain (she only appears in three episodes, but that’s more than most of the female Captains on this list, barring Janeway).

From a rough beginning, then, Star Trek has produced an interesting and varied collection of female Captains and women in command of starships, though to date they are still vastly outnumbered by their male colleagues.

Here’s hoping that the new commanding officers we see in Star Trek: Discovery will be as tough as Garrett, as ambitious as Shelby, as likeable as Jadzia and as interestingly flawed as Janeway.

Star Trek: Discovery premieres this Sunday, September 24th on CBS and CBS All-Access.

Read and download the full Den of Geek SDCC Special Edition magazine here!

Juliette Harrisson | @ClassicalJG

Juliette Harrisson is a writer and historian, and a lifelong Trekkie whose childhood heroes were JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. She runs a YouTube channel called…

Star Trek's 1st female captain rises through Starfleet ranks in 'The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway'

Young Ensign Janeway reports for duty in this exclusive excerpt.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the initial broadcast launch of "Star Trek: Voyager," and the series continues to attract followers young and old to its intrepid outer space adventures and compelling cast of human and alien characters.

One of the key figures in the sci-fi series' success was actor Kate Mulgrew and her iconic portrayal of Captain Kathryn Janeway, whose struggles to achieve the respect and admiration of her crew and Starfleet resonated with audiences worldwide. Last month Nickelodeon and CBS Studios announced that Mulgrew will reprise her "Star Trek: Voyager" for Nickelodeon's upcoming kids animated series "Star Trek: Prodigy" in 2021.

To delve further into her origin story, "The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway" (Titan Books) was recently published to chronicle her impressive career in Starfleet, from her first command to her perilous journey into the Delta Quadrant, leading to her elevation to the rank of vice-admiral — and we're fueling up a special chapter excerpt to share.

Related: 6 'Star Trek' captains, ranked from worst to best

Written by Uma McCormack, this official in-universe tale explores how Janeway brought together Starfleet and the Maquis as part of her crew, forged new alliances with intergalactic species, and clashed with The Borg on their own home territory.

"Janeway is such an important figure in the history of "Star Trek" — the first woman lead, and such a strong female role model," McCormack tells Space.com. "I think people connect to her courage and her determination, and also her warmth as captain and mentor to her crew. She's thrown into an impossible situation, and she carries her people along with humor, sincerity, and grit. Not every captain would have succeeded in that situation, but Janeway does."

"The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway" | $14.95 on Amazon  

London-based Titan Books releases a detailed account of one of Starfleet's most revered captains in author Uma McCormack's "The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway."

Now enjoy our special excerpt from Titan Books' "The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway" by Uma McCormack below.

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"Ensign Kathryn Janeway, reporting for duty, ma'am!" 

It was my first day of my first posting, and I was shaking in my shiny boots, and tugging away at the cuffs of my stiff uniform. My new direct superior, Lieutenant Commander Flora Kristopher, the Al-Batani 's chief science officer, was waiting in the transporter room to welcome me on board, leaning against the console. She looked at me steadily, and—bless her—did not smile at my overseriousness and formality, but simply said, "Welcome aboard, Ensign. Please don't call me 'ma'am.' Makes me sound fifty years older." 

I blushed bright red. "Sorry… Commander!" (He won't thank me for this, but I can't help but recall a certain Ensign Harry Kim, so keen to make a good impression on his new captain in our first meeting that I thought he was going to strain something. Don't worry, Harry. We've all been there.) 

Kristopher gave me a lopsided smile, pushed herself up from the console and nodded to me that I should follow her. I snapped to it. I was desperate to make a good impression. I trotted at her heels as she gave me a rapid tour of the ship, introducing me to various other officers, senior and junior. They were all friendly; one or two invited me to the mess hall for a drink once I was off shift. I gratefully accepted, muttering their names, ranks, and specialisms under my breath as we went on so that I wouldn't forget them. After about an hour of this, Kristopher said, "Relax, Janeway. This is home now. Keep up this level of intensity much longer and I'm going to have to go for a lie-down." 

I blushed again. "Sorry, Commander. I'll try and take it a little easier." 

"Good. Don't worry, Janeway. You're going to do fine." 

Kristopher was a supremely talented officer, who gave the appearance of being very laid back, but who never missed a thing. She had an enviable gift for being able to come up to speed rapidly in hugely technical subjects, ideal for a chief science officer, who frequently finds herself having to offer expert advice in fields well beyond her specialisms. Kristopher's own area of study was sustainable xenoagronomy. She had grown up on Mars, on one of the terraformed colonies, and so had early experience of experimenting with crops growing under less than propitious circumstances. By this stage in her career, numerous colony worlds had benefited from various technical advances she had made in soil science. My mother, learning that I would be serving under her, was incredibly excited. I had been instructed to get advice on a new rose hybrid she was trying to grow. Kristopher, in her turn, was delighted to discover that my mother was that Gretchen Williams: she had, so she told me, been inspired toward her field by an early encounter with her stories for The Adventures of Flotter . (I have to say that I thought it would be my father's name that went before me on my first Starfleet posting, not my mother's.) 

Flora Kristopher was a fine mentor to have at this stage of my career. She was patient with mistakes born from inexperience, tough on mistakes born from sloppiness, and more than usually able to spot the difference. The only way to get on her bad side was to point out the nominative determinism of her first name. My word, she hated that. She must have heard it almost every day of her adult life. I am eternally grateful that another new ensign made this mistake before I did. I've never seen a young man so thoroughly cut down to size. Under Kristopher's guidance, I flourished, and I started to gain confidence—which is, after all, exactly what a newly minted officer needs at this stage of her career. I thought about her constantly when I had junior staff of my own, when I tried to instill this same kind of confidence: trusting their judgement but always having a backup plan in case their inexperience let them down. 

I was lucky too that I got on well with my commanding officer. Captain Owen Paris had a reputation for rigidity within the service, but he and I hit it off immediately. We both came from families that had been in Starfleet for generations, and this shared culture eased our relationship from the outset. I too can be rigid in my own way, and the discipline of his ship suited my nature. I know that my father respected him greatly and I took my cue from this. He lacked much of a sense of humor, but he got things done. It was a pleasure to serve under him, and I have been personally grateful to him for his many kindnesses over the years, not least in the roadblock I hit during my second year, but also in his championing of the Pathfinder Project that allowed Voyager to establish contact with Starfleet. 

My first six months on the Al-Batani were, broadly speaking, a success. Half a dozen new staff had come on board at the same time, and we formed a close-knit group. One of our number—a Vulcan named T'Nat—had been captain of the Velocity team at the Academy and persuaded us to form a junior league with some of the junior lieutenants. I had not played the game at the Academy, but I was always ready for a new physical challenge, so I agreed to try it out. I took to it immediately; it filled a tennis-shaped gap in my life. The game became popular across the whole ship, leading some of the more senior officers to form their own league. Flora Kristopher was instrumental in this, and the first officer, Commander Shulie Weiss, joined too. The captain kept his lofty distance. The inevitable challenge was offered, which we junior officers accepted with alacrity: surely we would have no trouble defeating what we gleefully referred to as our "elders." Well, this is where I learned that Velocity is as much about wits and guile as it is about speed and agility. I won't say that we were trounced, but… all right, we were trounced. I have never seen a more triumphant set of senior officers. Paris came and awarded a trophy he'd organized for the occasion, and we junior officers swore to get our revenge. We never did while I was on the team. 

Between this and our survey mission, which expanded my scientific knowledge and my practical skill immensely, I had a good and challenging life. I count myself lucky to have entered Starfleet during this period. The border skirmishes with the Cardassians rumbled on, but there was still time and space for us to enjoy something of the old Starfleet, when ships were dedicated chiefly to exploration, and we were able to pursue our primary purpose as individuals, devoting our energies as much to our own personal advancement as to protecting the Federation. I knew that at the back of our minds we all feared that a larger conflict was coming—even outright war—and we were intent on seizing the day. Speaking to officers younger than me, who came of age just before and during the Dominion War, I know that they had a very different experience during their first postings. They were straight into the thick of it. Even after the Dominion War was over, there was the hard work of reconstruction, and not as much time to play. I am fortunate to have been on a ship like this. I enjoyed my work; I enjoyed my downtime; I was making good friendships and I was earning praise from my superiors not only for my work, but for my handling of various situations that were intended to prepare me for command. I was pleased with my performance. The only risk was that I was starting, perhaps, to get a little cocky, but Starfleet has its own corrective measures for this kind of thing, as I was going to find out. 

" The Autobiography of Kathryn Janeway " is available now from Titan Books.

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Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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The Only Female Captain Of 'Star Trek' Speaks Out

Though overshadowed by "Star Wars" hype, the recent announcement that a new “Star Trek” series is in the works caught the attention of lite sci-fi geeks, and thrilled series devotees. The first question on fans’ minds -- after “for real?!” and “when?!” (yes, in 2017) -- was who will helm the latest edition as its Captain.

It’s a role with a certain stigma attached to it, and a storied history. The Captain must be self-assured, old enough to have had the experience to man a large crew, well-versed in techno-babble, and possessive of an air of grandeur typically reserved for Shakespearean stage actors.

It’s too early for any surfacing rumors to carry much weight, but a few science-fiction sites and forums have cast their votes for who they’d prefer to see seated in the Captain’s chair. Whispers about the overdue casting of an LGBT Captain are among the most promising -- or at least the most interesting. Entertainment site Inquisitr notes that the series has a track record of inclusiveness , casting both a black Captain and a female Captain in the '90s.

Said female Captain, played by Kate Mulgrew on “ Star Trek: Voyager ,” spoke with The Huffington Post about her seven-year tenure on the show, and what she hopes to see from the newest installment.

“There has not been an LGBT Captain. There are an infinity of things they haven’t had,” Mulgrew said. “But I’ll be curious to see if they choose a man or a woman. I think I wouldn’t mind a bit if I -- well, I’m not even going to tell you that, that’s selfish. I’m eating my words, eating them! It’s just kind of nice being the only female Captain to date.”

It’s easy to see why Mulgrew -- who now plays Russian immigrant Red on Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black” -- feels possessive of the role. On air from 1995 to 2001, “Star Trek: Voyager” was a show that asked much of its Captain, who often worked 16 to 18 hour days, delivering scientifically dense lines with finesse. Themes recurring throughout the series centered on the importance of individuality, upheld by Mulgrew’s Captain Janeway, a robot-turned-sentient being named the Doctor, and a Borg-turned-free-thinking-human Seven of Nine.

But Captain Janeway wasn’t the only “Star Trek” leader to advocate for diversity. In fact, Mulgrew sees her character as fitting into a long tradition rather than standing out as a singular role.

Like Patrick Stewart and Avery Brooks before her, she came to the show with experience as a stage actress, having played in productions of "Othello" and "Titus Andronicus." Because of the Shakespearean quality the show’s creator Gene Roddenberry envisioned for the initial take on “Star Trek,” Mulgrew says the role of the Captain should be a timeless one, unmarried to imagined trends of the era. The Captain’s speech should be theatrical, she says, granting even hokey lines gravitas. Because of the part’s almost royal air, Mulgrew doesn’t think a female Captain would be played differently today than in the '90s, even though tides have changed significantly in terms of women’s rights.

“The beauty of ‘Star Trek’ is that Roddenberry was very far-seeing,” Mulgrew said. “Gender regarding the Captain’s seat was a unilateral thing. It transcended all of those classifications. I think that I played Janeway as I would play her today.”

Another enduring quality of “Star Trek” Captains: they have to memorize a lot of scientific jargon. How else are they supposed to make quips about coffee -- “the finest organic suspension ever devised” -- while retaining the image of being a die-hard science nerd? The expectations are so outside of the norm that the woman originally cast as Captain Janeway, film actress Geneviève Bujold, quit while filming the first episode. Mulgrew suspects that the required devotion to physics-speak, coupled with the show’s long hours, are what drove her away. When she caught word of the opening, Mulgrew swooped in and snagged the role, and she has her studious habits to thank for it.

When asked whether she uses any tricks to memorize the language of “Star Trek,” she said, “Yeah, and it’s a hard trick. It’s nothing you can get away with easily. I read Richard Feynman, I revisited Einstein, and I listened to scientists talk at length about not only the magnitude of space, but almost the theology of space. I had to study physics -- on a very fundamental level, mind you -- but I understood enough so that I could endow the words, endow the language with meaning.”

The reason for her intense studies? “Trekkies are like hawks,” Mulgrew said. “They see everything. They know if you’re making it up. They know and they don’t like it. So I didn’t make it up.”

“The choices that I was forced to make as that Captain were very strong, very bold, very powerful choices,” Mulgrew said. “I forewent motherhood, I forewent intimate love. That was the ultimate sacrifice, and I think that was a necessary component for great leadership: that essential loneliness.”

At this point in Mulgrew’s musings, it’s unclear whether she’s talking about the sacrifices her character had to make, or the sacrifices she had to make as a woman playing that character. So, I asked her bluntly whether, during her years on “Star Trek,” she felt as empowered as her character seemed to be.

“No,” she said. “Of course not. I had two little children at home, so I was in a constant state of conflict. How do I get to them? What’s going on? How do I assuage their fears? How do I balance all of this? I need to be as every good a mother as I am an actress. It was very difficult.”

This sentiment is reiterated in the actress’ recently published memoir, Born with Teeth , in which she writes, “I played Captain Janeway in the era that had not resolved the conflicts surrounding mothers and work.” She writes about jetting from home to work and back again -- unfortunately without the benefit of warp speed -- and of her sons’ tendency to act out when things got especially busy. To this day, she said, they haven’t seen an episode of the show she worked on during their adolescence.

“Not that there’s a hostile thing about it, but why would you watch the thing that took your mother away from you?” Mulgrew said. “It’d be a reminder to them. And I think if they did see it, they’d just laugh now. But at that time, it was their formative, impressionable years. It was tough, but we’ve all come through the other end, and I’m very glad I did it. And I’m glad I did it the way I did it.”

Today, on the set of “Orange Is the New Black,” Mulgrew says she’s noticed a vital shift in how her co-stars perceive motherhood, and the elusive work-life balance. She credits the show’s creator, a mother herself, for recognizing that her cast’s private and professional lives feed one another. There are children on the show’s set -- unheard of even in the “Voyager” days.

“It’s a new day in television,” Mulgrew said.

“It’s slow-going,” she adds. “I’m not gonna be foolish about it. It’s still a boy’s club. But this must change, out of necessity.” She says this boldly and bluntly, like she’s uncovering a self-evident new truth. Her words are measured but hopeful. She speaks, quite simply, like a Captain.

CLARIFICATION: We’ve stated above that The Doctor on “Star Trek: Voyager” is a robot-turned-sentient being. He is, in fact, an Emergency Medical Hologram that has developed its own unique personality. Although we maintain that “robot” is a nebulous descriptor, we’re not about to debate with “Star Trek” fans over the show’s unique lexicon.

Also on HuffPost:

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Sonequa Martin-Green Has 'Settled Into' Her 'Worth as a Black Woman in a Way That I Would Not Have Imagined' (Exclusive)

"It has meant a great deal to stand in this position and to have, in a way, grown to fit the position," the actress told PEOPLE of playing Star Trek's first Black female captain

Sonequa Martin-Green is embracing her worth.

The actress portrays Star Trek: Discovery ’s Michael Burnham, the first Black female captain in the long-running franchise, and recently spoke with PEOPLE about how the groundbreaking role has changed her. 

"Since the impact that the show has had on my life has changed over time, it's really hard to answer that question because I feel a certain way about it right now, but I'm going to feel even differently a month from now,” Martin-Green, 38, said at SCAD TVFest in Atlanta on Feb. 8 when asked how being on the series has changed her career. “I'm going to feel even differently five years from now. And it's hard for me to say how it's impacted me when I know that there is still more to come from it.”

Reflecting, Martin-Green shared that playing the protagonist has helped her realize and accept a new level of “worth.”

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"I've settled into my worth as a Black woman in a way that I would not have imagined that was facilitated by the story, that was facilitated by playing Michael Burnham and then Captain Michael Burnham,” she continued. “And then, by the connections that I've made with the people that tell this story. Those connections, they're the kind that ripple throughout the rest of your life.”

Still, Martin-Green doesn’t plan on stopping — and said there’s room for even more personal evolution, telling PEOPLE, “It has meant a great deal to stand in this position and to have, in a way, grown to fit the position. And I'm still growing to fit it.”

She explained, “It's like on one hand I understand that I don't need to do that, but then at the same time it's like that position is greater than me, so I'll just always be growing into it.”

The Walking Dead alum became emotional at the idea of being able to show her 9-year-old son, Kenric Justin III, the CBS series one day, giving him a chance to see her star as a Black lead. 

“He hasn't seen it yet,” said Martin-Green, who shares Kenric III and 3-year-old daughter Saraiyah Chaunté with husband Kenric Green, 41. She added that she’s “excited” for the moment Kenric III and Saraiyah — who wasn’t born yet when Martin-Green began playing Captain Burnham — are ready to tune in to the series. 

“I mean, I could really cry talking about what I might be able to lead by example, what I might be able to show them by example and teach them from what I've experienced and how they might benefit from it,” said the mom of two. “That's everything right there.”

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"Star Trek Voyager"'s first female captain

"Star Trek Voyager"'s first female captain -- Kate Mulgrew is excited to take on the historical role of Capt. Kathryn Janeway

It’s Christmastime in the 24th century. The crew of Star Trek: Voyager , the newest television offshoot of the enduring Trek phenomenon, is setting up a shot on Paramount’s cavernous soundstage 8, when actress Kate Mulgrew suddenly materializes from behind a field of stars on black velvet, her arms filled with shiny parcels. ”Merry Christmas!” she beams as she doles out presents to the crew. A whirl of yuletide cheer in a red-and-black Starfleet uniform, she glides among the electricians, the carpenters, and the assistant directors, past set walls that still have ”The Next Generation” stenciled on their backs.

”But Kate, how about you?” asks a crew member.

Mulgrew smiles and rebalances the packages in her arms. ”That’s all right, doll. I already got mine.”

Indeed, for Mulgrew, Christmas had come three months earlier. That was when she was cast as Voyager s Capt. Kathryn Janeway, the linchpin role in what may very well be the most anticipated TV series since, well, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine two years ago. But back in early September, the mood on the set wasn’t exactly one of glad tidings. Up to that point, Voyager had been beset by production delays, internal squabbling, and casting problems-problems that had climaxed when French-Canadian actress Genevieve Bujold was given the part of Janeway, only to bail out after two tempestuous days on the set.

Such troubles are commonplace for many new series, but the stakes are seldom this high: Voyager is the third spin-off in-and heir apparent to-the staggeringly profitable Trek empire, a franchise that has generated an estimated $2 billion in revenue for Paramount. In addition to TV, Trek has scored with movies, books, and merchandising products of every variety. That kind of bankability led the studio to choose Voyager as the centerpiece of its new United Paramount Network, which launches Jan. 16 with Voyager s two-hour premiere. No wonder it seems all eyes in the universe are trained on what Paramount hopes will be the next Next Generation .

That places Mulgrew — who, as Janeway, becomes a successor to Trek icons James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard — not only in the captain’s chair but also squarely in the proverbial hot seat. ”Kate has a lot of pressure on her,” says Robert Beltran, who plays Chakotay, the ship’s Native American first officer. ”There’s really no precedent for her situation. Except maybe Joan of Arc.” He smiles. ”And she had the anointing of God.”

”A female captain has a lot of leeway that a male captain wouldn’t have,” says Mulgrew, sitting in her trailer between scenes and methodically working her way through a pack of cigarettes. At 39, Mulgrew, a self-described ”television beast,” is a veteran of innumerable TV campaigns, including a short stint as the title character in the NBC series Mrs. Columbo . With her clear Irish features and throaty, resonant voice, she bears an eerie resemblance to a young Katharine Hepburn. ”Women have an emotional accessibility that our culture not only accepts but embraces. We have a tactility, a compassion, a maternity-and all these things can be revealed within the character of a very authoritative person.”

But Trek has not treated authoritative women kindly. Thirty years ago, after watching the original Trek pilot, NBC executives ordered creator Gene Roddenberry to eliminate the female first officer because she seemed too threatening. (The actress, Majel Barrett, was eventually recast as Nurse Chapel, and later became Roddenberry’s wife.) It was downhill from there for Trek feminists. The final episode of the original series, ”Turnabout Intruder,” found the character of Dr. Janice Lester railing at the indignities of a chauvinistic Starfleet that didn’t allow female starship captains. The situation became a little more equitable in The Next Generationr , which featured women in command in several stories. But most of them, like Capt. Rachel Garrett of the Enterprise-C, contracted Trek ‘s dreaded red-shirt syndrome: an untimely death within the first halfhour.

”It took balls for these guys to hire me in this capacity,” says Mulgrew, the first woman to lead a Trek series onto TV. ”It’s a bold choice, and an appropriate one for 400 years in the future.”

But casting a woman to helm the ship is only one way Voyager ventures into new territory. There’s also the show’s premise: Janeway, in command of the newly commissioned U.S.S. Voyager , sets out to track down a rebel group known as the Maquis when a strange galactic phenomenon (that hoary Trek staple) flings both the Voyager and the Maquis ship into the distant reaches of the galaxy-so distant that at maximum warp, it would take them 70 years to return home. The two crews put aside their differences and band together to find a way back. On the journey, they will presumably encounter strange new worlds and new civilizations-and freaky new aliens to turn into hot-selling action figures.

The formula is Trek through and through: a warp-speed-paced, ship-centered show with a setup that allows for both weighty philosophical reflection and zesty shoot-’em-ups-a tale equal parts Lost in Space and The Odyssey . ”We are cutting our ties with a part of the universe that our audience is very comfortable with,” says coexecutive producer Jeri Taylor. ”No more Klingons, or Romulans, or Cardassians. The Federation is 70,000 light-years away. We are taking all of that away and starting from scratch.”

Adds coexecutive producer Michael Piller, ”You go back to the original show in the ’60s and the spirit of that was: one ship with a bunch of people, out there alone, exploring the unknown, never sure what they were going to find around any corner. That’s what we wanted, so that Voyager wouldn’t be just a pale imitation of The Next Generation .”

Implicit in that assessment is the desire not to repeat the mistakes of Deep Space Nine . When it premiered in 1993, DS9 was the designated successor to The Next Generation ‘s throne. But the show stumbled through its first season, hampered by underdeveloped characters and mundane storytelling. Trekkers cited DS9 ‘s flawed premise-a stationary stage for characters in perpetual conflict-which they felt betrayed the Trek ideal of cosmic exploration and universal harmony. ”It’s just a bunch of guys in a building yelling at each other,” says one Trek insider.

With DS9 ‘s lessons in mind, Voyager s early episodes will quickly try to establish the dynamics of its crew by throwing every tried-and-true Trek trick in the book at them: space anomalies, time warps, funky predatory aliens, etc. Yet the producers remain cautious. ” Voyager will not have the same ratings that The Next Generation had,” says Piller. ”It just won’t. I don’t think even the studio expects that.”

What the studio does expect, unequivocally, is a hit. Over the course of its seven syndicated seasons, The Next Generation raked in an estimated $511 million in revenue for Paramount-a major factor in convincing executives of the viability of a new network centered around a new Trek . ”There’s a great deal of pressure on us,” says Taylor. ”Affiliates were drawn into the fold by the prospect of getting Voyager . We know the expectations are inordinately high.”

<p. Which is why a number of executive eyebrows were raised when the creative troika of Taylor, Piller, and coexec producer Rick Berman insisted that Voyager be helmed by a woman. Trek ‘s strength has always been with males ages 18 to 49, the same group the new network targets as its core audience. For this demographic, The Next Generation had been the No. 1 show on the air, bar none. So when Voyager s producers made it clear their new show would star a woman (”It seemed like the logical thing to do,” says Berman, echoing a famous first officer), the question became, Would Trek kies have responded as enthusiastically to Capt. Jane T. Kirk, or Capt. Jeanne-Marie Picard?

Fans were quick to answer. ”Why oh why would the producers put a woman in charge of Voyager ?” wrote one distraught America Online subscriber. ”Do they want it to sink? What they need is a Kirk-type: strong, ambitious and full of testosterone.” Some postings were even more succinct: ”The show will suck because of the woman.”

Paramount didn’t turn a deaf ear to such sentiments. According to one source, the studio angrily demanded that the captain’s role be changed to a man — a report Berman wholeheartedly denies. ”I told them, ‘I want to do this with a woman,’ and they were very supportive,” says Berman. ”They just said, ‘Let’s not close the door to men. Look at men as well.’ But being opposed to hiring a woman — that’s nonsense. They just weren’t 100 percent sure we would find the right woman.”

Berman himself must have had doubts — hundreds of actresses were auditioned last summer. Among those reportedly under consideration: Kate Jackson, Lindsay Wagner, Tracy Scoggins, Linda Hamilton, even Patty Duke. Not until Sept. 1, the date shooting was supposed to begin, was a decision announced.

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Sonequa Martin-Green has taken over the captain's chair in the fourth season of Star Trek: Discovery , and the actress couldn't be more excited about the opportunity and her character's growth.

"It was exhilarating, it was solidifying, it was cementing and fulfilling in so many ways," Martin-Green shared with ET's Nischelle Turner. "I felt as if I had arrived, or sort of reached the pinnacle of what this season is about."

With her character, Michael Burnham, in command, she's become the first black female captain in the franchise's history. It's one element of the role that Martin-Green has come to love so much, along with her character's tenacity.

"One of the things I love the most about the character of Michael Burnham is there’s this power, this grit, this heart, and there’s such a rawness there," she said. "I’m always ready to jump in and get down and dirty, which I love."

She's also appreciated the feedback and the support from the franchise's vocal and dedicated fan base.

Reflecting on the most memorable fan encounters she's had since stepping into the Star Trek universe, Martin-Green recalled one time, at a convention in London, she was approached by a man who explained the impact her role and performance has had on his life.

"He said, 'I just need you to know, racism is very rampant in my family, but I watched the whole [first] season, [and] I felt so connected to you. I related to you in such a way that at the end I sort of looked back and thought oh my goodness this a black woman and I'm a white man, and I really felt like it was me,' she remembered. "And he said, 'So now, I feel like I can stop the cycle of racism in my family."

"I of course I bust out crying in front of him," she added.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery debut Thursdays on Paramount+.

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5 Reasons Why Janeway Was Star Fleet’s Finest

Kathryn Janeway proved that when you're the best, you can overcome pretty much anything.

Considering the news that the forthcoming Star Trek: Discovery series from Bryan Fuller will feature a female lead (though she isn’t a captain like past protagonists), now is an ideal time to reflect on one of the finest captains in the history of Star Trek : Captain Janeway.

Janeway was the finest example of what it means to be a Star Fleet captain. She was kind and unwavering in her support of her crew, but she was never weak. She didn’t let self-doubt cloud her judgement, but she always was open to ideas. She was tough, yet fair. She was level-headed and deeply devoted to her mission to protect her crew and return them home safely.

Here are some of the things that made Janeway the best Star Fleet captain.

Captain Janeway didn’t like bullies

Long before The Rock was teaming up with Kevin Hart in a film to play a character who loves his unicorn shirt and hates bullies, Janeway was making her stance on galactic jerks known.

She was the living embodiment of “Do no harm but take no shit”

As a Star Fleet captain, Janeway was well-versed in diplomacy and had the utmost respect for the Prime Directive. But she also never shied away from a fight. When the situation required it, Janeway never hesitated to take on the Space Bully of the week head-on. She wasn’t fearless, but sometimes, she seemed pretty damn close. And speaking of diplomacy.

Her advanced diplomacy techniques

You can’t say she didn’t have a flair for “saber-rattling.”

She demanded respect and inspired a generation of women to do the same

Whether she was letting Harry Kim know that she preferred “Captain” or leading her crew with a firm but gentle hand, Janeway showed that women in the highest positions of power was hardly atypical in the Star Trek universe. Janeway never let herself be disrespected for any reason, least of all her gender.

When you’re the best, you should never be afraid to own it, and Janeway did her best to make sure we knew that.

Black Coffee

Janeway didn’t love anything like she loved her coffee (black). Her obsession was deeply relatable and rivaled only by Loralei Gilmore’s.

Here’s hoping that whoever comes next in the Star Trek universe will carry on some of the best parts of Captain Janeway and bring them to a new generation of Star Trek fans.

• Science Fiction

Captain's woman

Marlena Moreau dressed to impress Kirk

The captain's woman was an unofficial position aboard ships of the Terran Empire Starfleet .

Normally, this woman would have other duties aboard ship, but her main role would be to provide companionship and sexual favors to the captain . However, captain's women often proved to be deceptive and manipulative, using their position to build their own power base on the ship. They would often react very quickly to a change in the command situation on the ship, and would offer their services to a new commander almost immediately, but only if it served their purposes to do so.

Hoshi Sato served in this capacity first to Captain Maximilian Forrest and then to Commander Jonathan Archer , before murdering Archer and attempting to seize the Emperor 's throne for herself. ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly ", " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ")

Marlena Moreau was Captain James T. Kirk 's woman. She occasionally assisted him in committing assassinations (using the Tantalus field ) that helped preserve his command. When she believed that she had lost her position as Kirk's woman, Moreau threatened to leave him for Commander Kenner , although Kirk dissuaded her from this action. Having been introduced to her in this role while briefly in the mirror universe, the prime reality Kirk was flustered when he encountered her prime reality counterpart shortly after returning to his own reality. ( TOS : " Mirror, Mirror ")

See also [ ]

External link [ ].

• Captain's woman at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

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Metro Voice News Celebrating Faith, Family & Community

Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek’s groundbreaking first female captain, chose life

July 15, 2021

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the airing of Star Trek: Voyager ’s final episode, ending the run of a beloved Star Trek re-imagining.  It featured the franchise’s first female leader, Captain Kathryn Janeway, played by future pop culture icon Kate Mulgrew.

Mulgrew understood that her role was groundbreaking. “I think it was bold. And I think that they made a timely and rather political move. A gesture that certainly I will never forget and I think [will culturally] serve as a great motivator for women,” she said, according to an ET story  commemorating the 20-year anniversary.

Mulgrew certainly has boasting rights to pioneering the iconic role, but it wasn’t her first time as a pioneering role model for women in Hollywood — and everywhere. As a young actress, Mulgrew faced an unplanned pregnancy in an industry that has for years notoriously encouraged and even celebrated abortions — and Mulgrew chose life for her daughter, ultimately placing her with an adoptive family.

In 1977, Mulgrew landed a role as Mary Ryan on the show  Ryan’s Hope , which chronicled the travails of an Irish-American family in New York City. She was a star of daytime television and one of the most-watched women on TV. And then one day she became unexpectedly pregnant. The baby’s father pressured her to end his “problem” and abort the baby, and Mulgrew’s mother was unable to help her.

Mulgrew at Comicon. Photo: video screengrab.

“I was single, alone and flooded with terror. But I knew I would have that baby,” Mulgrew said, according to  an article she wrote for AARP . “So I decided to give my baby up for adoption. It was a choice, the only one I could make.”

“It was unusual, in 1977, to be on national television while single and pregnant,” said Mulgrew. “My agent and many of my friends thought I was making a huge mistake. I offered to quit, but instead, the show’s creator […] wrote my pregnancy into the show” — an unusual move, for certain, in what has otherwise been described as a Hollywood environment  hostile  to the  idea  of pregnant actresses and  musicians .

Mulgrew, who grew up in a large Catholic family, turned to Catholic Charities to find a home for her baby. Heart-wrenchingly, just  three days  after delivering her daughter, she was back on set filming a scene in which she was bringing home a baby from the hospital.

“They handed me this stunt infant and gave me this beautiful monologue,” she said in her AARP article. “Millions of people watched that day. I almost faltered. I remember thinking, ‘If you cry, you will not stop. So you must not.’”

Kate and daughter Danielle.

Mulgrew received a call from her daughter while on the set of Star Trek: Voyager, and she immediately flew to meet her daughter and her family. Her daughter, Danielle, was a junior in college and just as eager to find her biological mother. The two bonded instantly and remained close, with Danielle becoming as much a part of Mulgrew’s family as her husband and sons. And the two have worked through the difficult post-adoption emotions as well.

“My daughter’s capacity for forgiveness is something I have never seen before in my life. That sense of abandonment was excruciating in her life. There is not enough time to make up for it, only enough time to love. We cried a lot. All we can do is move forward. So we do.”

Kate Mulgrew’s brave journey choosing life, her later relationship with her biological daughter, and her time as Captain Kathryn Janeway are all detailed in her 2016 book,  Born with Teeth: A Memoir .

–LifeActionNews

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What Happened to Kathryn Janeway After Star Trek: Voyager?

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The erased future of admiral janeway saved voyager and decimated the borg, kathryn janeway earned a promotion to admiral and invested in starfleet's future, the search for the protostar and commanding the uss dauntless, admiral janeway's adventures continue in star trek: prodigy and picard.

When Star Trek: Voyager debuted as the flagship series on the United Paramount Network (UPN), it was a return to the ship-based storytelling Gene Roddenberry's universe was known for. The series also made history from its inception because it was the first show led by a female Starfleet captain, Kathryn Janeway. When the USS Voyager was sent to the Delta Quadrant of the galaxy, its crew had only one mission: get home.

Over seven seasons, Captain Janeway never let the crew forget they were also serving the larger mission of Starfleet: seek out strange new worlds where no one had gone before. They would routinely divert from their course home for scientific exploration or to help species in need. The ship also frequently engaged the Borg, and even the god-like Q turned his attention from Jean-Luc Picard to Janeway. Getting the ship back to Earth would be career enough for any officer, but Janeway's story didn't end with Voyager 's finale. In fact, she had two distinct and different futures ahead of her.

10 Best Star Trek: Voyager Episodes, Ranked

Star Trek: Voyager may have been a controversial series on its debut, but it's now a certified classic as these top-ranked episodes prove.

Nearly two decades before the Avengers, "Endgame" was the title of Star Trek: Voyager 's series finale, which opened with a shot of the ship arriving on Earth . When first stranded in the Delta Quadrant, the USS Voyager was 75 years away from Earth at maximum speeds. The first time around, Captain Janeway beat that time by 52 years . She also lost, in one way or another, a number of crew including Seven of Nine, Chakotay and Tuvok, suffering from a Vulcan cognitive illness. She is eventually promoted to Vice Admiral, teaches at Starfleet Academy, and is the foremost expert on the Borg .

Not content with this future, Janeway meets with a Klingon named Korath, with Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres's daughter Miral acting as a go-between. She steals a device that allows her to travel back in time, and Korath sends his warships after her. Starfleet sends Captain Harry Kim of the USS Rhode Island to stop her from violating the Temporal Prime Directive , but Kim's loyalty to Janeway outweighs those orders. She successfully travels back in time and finds the USS Voyager and her younger self in the Delta Quadrant. The two Janeways butt heads, but the elder Kathryn convinces her younger self to follow her plan.

Admiral Janeway takes the ship to the Borg Unicomplex, arming USS Voyager with technology from the future so that it can survive the journey. The plan is to hijack the Borg's transwarp network and get the Voyager crew home in an instant. However, ablative armor and transphasic torpedoes aren't the only technology the elder Janeway brought back. She infects herself with a technovirus and allows the Borg Queen to assimilate her. While it takes the life of the elder Janeway, it deals a deathblow to Starfleet's most dangerous adversary . It also gives the younger Janeway a new lease on her future .

How Did Star Trek: Voyager Become a TV Series?

Star Trek: Voyager debuted after The Next Generation ended its historic run, but Captain Janeway's series was in development long before then.

After the USS Voyager returned to Earth, Captain Kathryn Janeway was promoted to Vice Admiral . She's also one of Starfleet's most decorated officers , in large part because of her ability to keep her crew together and get them home. This is no small task, after all. In Voyager Season 5, Episode 25, Janeway encounters the USS Equinox also stranded in the Delta Quadrant. While their captain, Rudolph Ransom, kept the crew together, he did so by violating every ideal Starfleet stands for. In Star Trek: Nemesis , Vice Admiral Janeway calls Picard from Starfleet Command to send him on the USS Enterprise's ill-fated mission to Romulus .

Because of her accomplishments as the captain of the USS Voyager, Janeway is well known throughout the galaxy. In Star Trek: Lower Decks , the dim-witted Pakleds believed any human woman in command of a Starfleet vessel was the illustrious Janeway. Still, after her experiences in the Delta Quadrant, Janeway was reticent to return to any deep space mission. Yet, she still believed in Starfleet's core goal of exploring the galaxy, welcoming new species into the Federation or, at least, establishing positive diplomatic relationships with them.

To that end, Janeway was part of the group that created the USS Protostar , a vessel with a faster-than-warp propulsion system . Her former first officer, Chakotay, was named the captain of the vessel and sent on a mission to the Delta Quadrant. As far as Star Trek fans know, he never returned. Also, when Seven of Nine tried to officially join Starfleet after Voyager's return, she was denied entry because she was Borg. Janeway stood by her and even threatened to resign. Seven didn't allow that, instead joining the Fenris Rangers and helping those who were outside of Starfleet's jurisdiction.

Star Trek: Prodigy Is the Last Hope for Janeway and Chakotay Shippers

Star Trek: Prodigy brought Voyager characters Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay back into their story and there is a chance for the romance fans never got.

When Dal R'El and the other Star Trek: Prodigy characters found the USS Protostar, they discovered that Janeway was the model for the holographic training assistant on the ship. Meanwhile, the real Janeway was back at Starfleet Command hoping for any sign of the ship or Chakotay. The makeshift crew of the Protostar wanted to turn the ship over to Starfleet, but an advanced weapon created by the Vau N'akat would infect any Starfleet vessels and make them destroy each other. Thus, the crew ended up being hunted by Vice Admiral Janeway, who returned to deep space in command of the USS Dauntless .

While on the hunt for the Protostar, Janeway consulted with other Starfleet admirals, such as former USS Enterprise-D captain Edward Jellico . Despite the respect she commanded among Starfleet officers, her First Officer Commander Tysess refused her order to pursue the ship into the Romulan Neutral Zone. Later, Janeway and her crew found the Diviner, a Vau N'akat operative who'd lost his memory. Finding him caused another operative, called the Vindicator, to break her cover as a Trill Starfleet ensign named Ascencia.

Eventually, a sci-fi mishap caused Janeway and Dal to swap minds Freaky Friday -style . While trying to pose as Vice Admiral Janeway, Dal ended up getting her removed from command and locked up. Once the real Janeway was back in her body, however, a Starfleet officer she saved as a child while commanding Voyager freed her. Once the Protostar crew destroyed the ship and the weapon hidden on it, Janeway advocated for them to be allowed into Starfleet Academy . Unlike with Seven of Nine, Starfleet Command allowed them in.

Star Trek: Prodigy's Connection to Voyager, Explained

Star Trek: Prodigy is a new series with new characters in the universe, but the series is directly connected to Voyager through characters and ships.

Star Trek: Prodigy's second season will debut on Netflix in July 2024, and it will cover Admiral Janeway's search for Chakotay . The new cadets who crewed the Protostar will join her on the USS Voyager-A, a new ship bearing the name of her storied vessel. Season 1 revealed that Chakotay wasn't just lost in the Delta Quadrant, but also lost in time. It's possible that Janeway will again have to violate the Temporal Prime Directive in order to rescue her former First Officer. While her adventures with the Prodigy crew are as yet unknown, thanks to Star Trek: Picard , fans know she at least survives.

Seven of Nine eventually joined Starfleet , serving aboard the USS Titan-A, and during her tenure, had conversations with Admiral Janeway. In fact, according to the Star Trek: Picard commentaries, producers wanted Janeway actor Kate Mulgrew to appear in an episode or two. However, time and money prevented that. Still, through conversations with Seven, Picard and Tuvok, Janeway was a high-ranking Admiral in Starfleet Command at the turn of the 25th Century. While her ultimate fate is unknown, Janeway had many adventures after she left the USS Voyager behind .

Star Trek: Voyager is currently streaming on Paramount+, while Star Trek: Prodigy is streaming on Netflix.

Star Trek Voyager

Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is seventy-five years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.

Star Trek's Original Janeway Actress Lasted Less Than Two Days On The Show

"Star Trek: Voyager" was a big deal for Paramount back in 1995 . It was the first new "Star Trek" show to launch after the conclusion of the powerhouse "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1994, leaving it and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" — the "new kids" on the block — to fend for themselves. What's more, the premiere of "Voyager" also launched Paramount's new TV network, UPN, a massively ambitious media venture that, it was hoped, would provide legitimate competition for the other major TV players of the era. UPN ended up crashing and burning after a decade, but "Voyager" eventually found a respectably sized audience. This was, however, after several years of struggling, and several instances of recasting. 

Most notably, "Star Trek: Voyager" had trouble finding a captain. The show's central character was to be named Captain Elizabeth Janeway, and she was notably to be the first woman to serve as a lead command figure on a "Star Trek" series. Paramount felt they were lucky in finding experienced Canadian actress Geneviève Bujold to play the part, and filming began. Resourceful Trekkies have likely seen the leaked footage of Bujold on set , performing as Captain Janeway. 

Bujold, however, walked off the set after less than two days of filming, making it clear that she wouldn't come back. A New York Times article in 1994 noted the walk-off, and the "Voyager" creators noted that Bujold was overwhelmed and "realized that the rigors of episodic television were too demanding."

In the oral history book "Captains' Logs Supplemental: The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages," edited by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, co-creator Jeri Taylor went into a little more detail as to what happened with Bujold and how they eventually settled on Kate Mulgrew. 

Geneviève Bujold's exit from Star Trek: Voyager

In 1994, Bujold was perhaps best known her Oscar-nominated performance in the 1969 drama "Anne of a Thousand Days." She also received acclaim and recognition for films like "The Towering Inferno," "The Trojan Women" (wherein she played opposite Katharine Hepburn and Vanessa Redgrave), Michael Crichton's "Coma," Clint Eastwood's "Tightrope," and "David Cronenberg's "Dead Ringers." She is a terse and downbeat actress, known for her soulful, embittered performances. On paper, she would make an ideal Starfleet captain, bringing a quiet, professorial dignity to the part. 

It wasn't easy to find her, though. Taylor recalled the rigorous casting process, and how their lead actress needed to do more than simply play a role: They also had to weather the press "Voyager" was getting at the time. Taylor said: 

"The search for the captain was a long and difficult one. [...] This is the person that gets the white-hot glare of publicity as the first female ever to head one of the Star Trek series and she had to be just right. We considered, auditioned, looked at tapes of what seemed like every actress between the ages of probably thirty and fifty-five in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Canada, London and Europe. We had several people we were happy with."

Finally, the French-Canadian Bujold stepped in at the last minute. Taylor was happy that such a classy actress showed interest. Then, two days later, she was gone. Taylor continued: 

"Finally, with days to go, we were made aware that Geneviève Bujold was interested and we were ecstatic. So we went ahead with that and thought, 'Wow, we've got it,' and, of course, when that didn't work out it was distressing for everybody." 

It seems that TV was just too fast-paced for Bujold.

Retrieving Kate Mulgrew

Although Bujold's sudden departure after two days of filming was unexpected, Taylor was glad that she didn't quit after, say, months had already elapsed. "Voyager" was going to launch a new network, and it was vital that it stay on schedule. Taylor concluded: 

"I am deeply grateful to [Bujold] that she did this after a day and a half instead of after six weeks or two months, because that would have destroyed us. She did what she knew in her heart was right, which is the way she functions as a person and as an actress, and she was right." 

According to the New York Times article, Bujold staunchly refused to conduct interviews, a practice she had always adhered to. When working with "Star Trek," however, interviews, convention appearances, and an open acknowledgement of the fan community was key. Bujold, it seemed, wouldn't play that game. 

Also, Bujold wasn't able to bring any energy to Captain Janeway. The leaked footage of Bujold on set reveals a laconic, borderline somnambulist version of the character. She was quietly contemplative, rather than boldly authoritative. 

Shooting "Voyager" was a swift affair, requiring actors to be ready ASAP and shooting multiple scenes in a day. Bujold was more used to the slow-moving machine of feature films, and wasn't prepared. A TV Guide article from the time also reported that Bujold caught someone photographing her butt while she was in costume. The photographer claimed that it was meant to be reference for an action figure, but Bujold was incensed. 

Luckily, actress Kate Mulgrew — an energetic TV veteran — had already auditioned, and the showrunners asked her to step in. Mulgrew took to the role instantly, saving everyone's bacon. Mulgrew has been playing Janeway ever since.

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Every star trek series finale ranked worst to best.

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I'm Glad Star Trek Is Showing More Love To Scott Bakula’s Enterprise

Star trek: voyager frustrations led to creation of battlestar galactica, star trek: why avery brooks changed sisko's original ds9 ending.

• Crafting a satisfying Star Trek series finale can be challenging, with some failing to meet expectations due to outside factors like network cancelation.
• The concept of a series finale wasn't widely established until the 1990s, when Star Trek: The Next Generation set the trend with some of the best-loved finales ever.
• While some series like Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Enterprise struggled with their finales, others like Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine excelled, delivering satisfying conclusions.

It can be a daunting prospect to deliver a truly great Star Trek series finale, which is why a handful have failed to perform to expectations. Occasionally, outside factors can impede the writers' abilities to write a satisfying finale, as a cancelation by the network can abruptly bring a Star Trek TV show to an end. Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Enterprise were afforded the opportunity to respond creatively to their cancelation , with differing results. However, Star Trek: The Original Series existed at a time when the concept of a series finale was yet to be widely established.

It was really in the 1990s when the idea of a Star Trek series finale took hold , as network television became more writer-led. The success of Star Trek: The Next Generation and its spinoffs meant that, by seven seasons of Star Trek , TNG was afforded the luxury of canceling itself. These 1990s series finales are among some of the best-loved episodes of Star Trek ever, as they have thrilling stakes and also give their hugely talented casts one last chance to shine.

12 Best Star Trek Season Finales Ranked

In its impressive nearly 60-year history, the various Star Trek series have delivered some truly excellent season finales.

8 "Turnabout Intruder"

Star trek: the original series.

"Turnabout Intruder" is a fairly weak episode of Star Trek: The Original Series that also acts as the show's de-facto finale. In its defense, the series finale was not an established feature of network television in the late 1960s , which is why "Turnabout Intruder" isn't designed as a fitting conclusion to TOS . However, even with that in mind, it has a dated, and sexist, storyline about Janice Lester (Sandra Smith) swapping bodies with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) so that she can become a female starship captain . It's hardly a story that serves as a fitting farewell to the TOS cast.

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Star Trek: The Original Series follows the exploits of the crew of the USS Enterprise. On a five-year mission to explore uncharted space, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) must trust his crew - Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Forest DeKelley), Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Sulu (George Takei) - with his life. Facing previously undiscovered life forms and civilizations and representing humanity among the stars on behalf of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, the Enterprise regularly comes up against impossible odds and diplomatic dilemmas.

"Turnabout Intruder" provides William Shatner with a chance to play a different side of Captain Kirk, and also showcases the Enterprise crew's loyalty, as they refuse to follow Lester's orders. However, the dated plot and disposable nature of "Turnabout Intruder" makes it a poor finale for Star Trek: The Original Series . Thankfully, the Enterprise crew's movie revival would lead to a far more fitting farewell in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

7 "The Counter-Clock Incident"

Star trek: the animated series.

In many ways, Star Trek: The Animated Series got a better finale than its live-action predecessor. "The Counter-Clock Incident" brings things full circle by teaming up two captains of the starship Enterprise , James T. Kirk and Robert April (James Doohan). However, the stakes involved in the team-up do undermine the occasion of the TAS finale, somewhat. The titular "Counter-Clock Incident" involves the Enterprise flying into negative space, which forces the crew to age backwards.

The climactic scenes where Kirk and his crew are crawling around on the floor like babies undermines them in a far more substantial way than anything in Star Trek: Enterprise 's controversial finale. Thankfully, the older Robert April is also aged backwards, to an age where he can command a starship and ultimately save the day. "The Counter-Clock Incident" is as ageist as "Turnabout Intruder" was sexist , but the Star Trek: The Animated Series finale has more fun with its central premise, and a sense of passing on the torch, that makes it the superior finale.

Now played by Adrian Holmes, Admiral Robert April has become a recurring character in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .

6 "These Are The Voyages..."

Star trek: enterprise.

Star Trek: Enterprise 's finale is notorious among fans for undermining the cast by bringing back Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). It's a fair criticism, given that the Enterprise characters as seen in "These Are The Voyages..." are holographic replicas , not the real deal. Also, controversial was the death of Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer), which co-writer Brannon Braga had intended as a heartbreaking moment but, in execution, it just angered fans. For all the problems with Enterprise 's finale, it does at least try to end the story of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula).

Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.

Because the show was canceled, the Star Trek: Enterprise finale skips ahead to the founding of the United Federation of Planets. Given that this was always what Enterprise was building to, it makes sense for the finale to deliver that pay off even if the long road to getting there was curtailed. It's just hugely unfortunate that the culmination of Archer and his crew's adventures are overshadowed by a tribute to Star Trek: The Next Generation and Enterprise 's more beloved franchise stablemates.

Brannon Braga apologized to the cast of Star Trek: Enterprise for the finale in the 2013 Bluray special feature In Conversation: The First Crew

Star Trek: Enterprise is now getting some long overdue recognition from new Star Trek and its heartwarming to see shoutouts to Scott Bakula's show.

5 "Life, Itself"

Star trek: discovery.

Star Trek: Discovery 's finale was never intended as the show's ending, which does count against "Life, Itself" in some respects. That being said, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) coming face to face with the alien race that seeded all humanoid life in the Star Trek universe is bigger than anything in the TOS, TAS , and Enterprise finales. As a de-facto finale for the entire series, "Life, Itself" works as an ending for the Discovery crew, as their quest for the Progenitors' technology gives many of the characters a greater grasp of what matters to them the most.

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Ironically, if "Life, Itself" had gone out as originally intended after Star Trek: Discovery was canceled, it may be regarded more highly. There's a neat thematic symmetry to Burnham's journey beginning with the Battle of the Binary Stars, and ending between the primordial black holes . Unfortunately, a contrived epilogue that gives the Discovery crew one last chance to pat themselves on the back and allows the writers' room to wrap up a dangling thread from Star Trek: Short Treks makes this an uneven and unsatisfying conclusion to the series.

4 "Endgame"

Star trek: voyager.

Star Trek: Voyager 's ending brings Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the crew back home to the Alpha Quadrant. However, Voyager 's season finale is seriously hampered by the show's outdated approach to episodic storytelling. Voyager could have built a multi-episode arc about the crew making one last-ditch attempt to escape the Delta Quadrant. Recurring elements like the Pathfinder Project certainly gave Voyager the chance to build up to the crew's return home. Instead, audiences get "Endgame", a feature-length Voyager finale that ends before the crew even makes it into Earth's orbit .

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

It's an odd decision to spend so much time in the alternate future where Voyager gets home too late, but completely avoid showing how the crew readjusted to life on Earth in the prime Star Trek timeline. There's a lot of great material in "Endgame", from present and future Janeway collaborating to save Voyager to the final battle with the Borg Queen (Alice Krige). However, the oddly abrupt ending prevents Star Trek: Voyager 's finale from being truly great .

Ronald D. Moore clashed with Star Trek: Voyager's writers, but channelled those frustrations into creating the acclaimed Battlestar Galactica reboot.

3 "The Last Generation"

Star trek: picard.

Star Trek: Picard may have been uneven in terms of quality over its three seasons, but the final episode, "The Last Generation", is the best finale of the modern franchise . The Star Trek: Picard finale , written and directed by Terry Matalas, manages something that's almost impossible; it gives everyone a chance to shine. "The Last Generation" is a fond farewell to Patrick Stewart and his beloved Star Trek: The Next Generation co-stars, while also setting up Starfleet's next generation. No character feels short-changed as Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D face the Borg Queen for one final time.

After starring in Star Trek: The Next Generation for seven seasons and various other Star Trek projects, Patrick Stewart is back as Jean-Luc Picard. Star Trek: Picard focuses on a retired Picard who is living on his family vineyard as he struggles to cope with the death of Data and the destruction of Romulus. But before too long, Picard is pulled back into the action. The series also brings back fan-favorite characters from the Star Trek franchise, such as Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes).

"The Last Generation" is a thrilling Star Trek action movie that has genuine emotion at its core. Picard's fight to save Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), the son he's only just met, is beautiful, and is given monumental stakes given that his love and acceptance is the only thing that can break Jack's Borg processing. "The Last Generation" is exciting, emotional, occasionally hilarious, and full of warmth . Everything you could want from a Star Trek series finale, basically.

2 "What You Leave Behind"

Star trek: deep space nine.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's series finale is epic and intimate, which is the perfect reflection of the show itself . "What You Leave Behind" brings DS9 's Dominion War to a shattering conclusion, leaving Cardassia Prime a devastated warzone, mirroring the state of Bajor at the show's beginning. The DS9 finale also fulfilled the tragic destiny of Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), Emissary of the Prophets, who gave his life to seal Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) and the Pah-wraiths in the Bajoran Fire Caves. However, amidst all the fire and brimstone in "What You Leave Behind", DS9 's overriding themes of family and friendship prevail.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

From the melancholic goodbye between Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) and Colonel Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) to the emotionally restrained farewell between Garak (Andrew J. Robinson) and Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig), there's a palpable feeling of finality. Arguably, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's finale is too good, as its resolution has so far put off Alex Kurtzman from returning to the show and its characters. "What You Leave Behind" is the most conclusive of Star Trek series finales , paying off seven years of storytelling. It's one of the reasons why DS9 remains such a satisfying viewing experience more than 30 years after its premiere.

Benjamin Sisko's ending in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine finale was originally a lot less ambiguous until Avery Brooks asked for it to be changed.

1 "All Good Things..."

Star trek: the next generation.

Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "All Good Things" is the gold standard of Star Trek series finale, even 30 years after it aired. Riffing on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol , Captain Picard is split across his past, present, and future to deal with a threat to all creation. The only constant in these three time zones is Picard's crew, who remain loyal to him throughout his life . Picard's final test isn't so much whether humanity is deserving of its place in the stars, but whether the Enterprise-D's captain can appreciate the smaller things.

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation finale is a celebration of seven years of television that never feels indulgent or self-congratulatory. "All Good Things" honors the journey of the TNG cast, while looking hopefully toward the future , as all good series finales should do. TNG was never a serialized show with a clear endpoint. However, "All Good Things" wraps up the relationship between Q (John de Lancie) and Picard, while giving him the family he's always denied himself; his crew. It's for those reasons that "All Good Things" remains the greatest Star Trek series finale.

Each of these Star Trek series finales are available to stream on Paramount+.

What Star Trek series should new fans start with; the best or the first?

W hen you're a new fan of any major franchise, it's hard to know where to start. Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and all things DC Comics. There are a lot of franchises that have a lot of major stories to tell and they're not all in one place. This isn't like Supernatural which has one show and one spinoff (that only went on one season). It's easy to know where to start when you only have one real series or film in your franchise.

Star Trek is not that franchise. With 13 films, and soon-to-be 12 shows (13 counting Short Treks, which I don't), it's hard to know where to start if you're a new fan. Do you start at the beginning of the timeline? Well, that's Enterprise, which came out in 2001 and featured Scott Bakula as the first captain of a warp-capable ship; Jonathan Archer.

Do you start with the best? Depending on who you ask, that's the William Shatner-led Star Trek series from 1966, the first sequel series with The Next Generation in 1987, or the follow-up show, Deep Space Nine, in 1995. Maybe you want a bit more obscurity, with a series like Voyager, led by Kate Mulgrew, which took the series in a whole new direction. Literally. it was the first show in the series to have a female lead and set the events of the franchise in a brand new part of the Galaxy.

Maybe you want to start with the film franchise? We wouldn't recommend it, but you could start with Star Trek 2009, which is set in an entirely new universe. In that film, you're following around a brand new version of James Kirk, this time played by Chris Pine, instead of Shatner. It starts that series timeline and is as good of a place as any.

That said, we have some suggestions.

If you want to start at the beginning of the series, start with Enterprise. You'll be able to engage with the franchise without the expectation of decades of lore to endure. If you want one that's off the beaten path and a bit different, but still accessible for viewers; Voyaer is the way to go. It takes place during the Next Generation era of films and Deep Space Nine's television run. Yet, it's set on the other side of the galaxy, allowing fans to learn what's going on alongside the crew.

For fans who want more than your traditional Star Trek, the 2009 film works well. It's action-packed, and intense and allows fans with no prior knowledge of the franchise to settle in for an exciting ride. If you want something similar but with more heart and longer stories; we suggest Strange New Worlds.

Strange New Worlds is set between Discovery and The Original Series and features Christopher Pike, played by Anson Mount. It's a fun affair, and while it's not as consistent as other shows (nor does it have the back catalog of episodes), it's the best new Star Trek show by a mile.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as What Star Trek series should new fans start with; the best or the first? .