u/TheSonOfMogh81

Slashfilm:

https://www.slashfilm.com/1549191/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home-no-whales-snail-darters/

By Witney Seibold

"Nimoy liked the idea of saving the whales, but there was a bit of a creative difference. Harve Bennett had the idea, according to StarTrek.com, to make the small snail darter the object of the time traveler's hunt. Bennett felt that it would be more poetic if the fate of the Earth rested in the hands (fins?) of an overlooked, seemingly insignificant species. In "The Fifty-Year Mission," executive producer Ralph Winter recalls hearing Nimoy talking about the snail darter, and how it was kind of a terrible idea. Winter said:

>"It was Leonard's idea about saving the whales as opposed to, as he famously said, 'trying to save the snail darter.' Saving whales made it a bigger movie."

Indeed, saving whales made for a more dramatic story, as gathering them up and transporting them onto a starship required far more elaborate logistics. A small fry could merely be carried in a glass bowl.

Importantly, though, Leonard Nimoy wanted a lighter tone than the previous movies. He found an efficient ecology story, but he wanted to eschew the headiness of the first film, the action of the second, and the tragedy of the third. Nimoy said:

>"I just felt it was time to lighten up and have some fun. That meant that if we were going to do time travel, the best thing we could do was come back to contemporary Earth, where we could have some fun with our people. They would more or less be a fish out of water on the streets."

Nimoy's instincts were correct. Audiences loved "The Voyage Home." ... "

Read More:

https://www.slashfilm.com/1549191/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home-no-whales-snail-darters/

CBR:

https://www.cbr.com/george-takei-favorite-star-trek-episode-introduced-important-vulcan-lore/

By Melody Day

>"Although this is only the fourth episode, it's fair to say that audiences knew quite a lot about Kirk and Spock at this point. However, "The Naked Time" showcases Sulu as his own character, rather than just one of Captain Kirk's yes men. Plus, this episode highlighted the strength of the Enterprise's female crew members.

>As one of the few sane people left on the ship, Uhura is forced to man the controls while also remaining calm. Although she is quick to put Kirk back in his place, she quickly reverts to her usual professional self. This episode also makes the first appearance of Nurse Chapel, Dr. McCoy's very capable assistant. While she later loses her marbles and confesses her love for Spock, "The Naked Time" proves that the Enterprise wasn't just a futuristic version of an old-fashioned boys' club.

>Finally, audiences also get to learn more about Janice Rand. Although she only stayed for one season, "The Naked Time" quickly established her as Kirk's admin superstar, suggesting that even though she played a small part in the Enterprise, her influence was invaluable.

>Surprisingly, this episode was supposed to be a two-parter, but the latter segment was transformed into a standalone episode called "Tomorrow Is Yesterday." However, audiences were thankful that "The Naked Time" was allowed to shine by itself because it included so many landmark moments. Even if this episode is more comedic than dramatic, it still includes everything that helps Star Trek stand out.

...

>Arguably, the best thing about this episode is how it's still referenced in modern installments of Star Trek. Not only did George Takei wield a sword in an episode of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, but in the 2009 Star Trek movie, the latest rendition of Sulu admits that he is trained in fencing combat."

Link:

https://www.cbr.com/george-takei-favorite-star-trek-episode-introduced-important-vulcan-lore/

Screenrant:

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-2026-save-60th-anniversary/

By John Orquiola

"The final seasons of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds should receive some San Diego Comic-Con hype. Perhaps Paramount+ will drop news on what's next for Star Trek TV, and we'll get formal clarification of whether Alex Kurtzman's tenure running Star Trek is officially over and the Star Trek TV franchise on Paramount+ will have a new executive producer.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 will run into September and will be the only new Star Trek TV content left in 2026. But besides San Diego Comic-Con, there is also New York Comic Con in October, where Paramount has traditionally also dropped major Star Trek news. Paramount also likes to make Star Trek announcements at CCXP Brazil in December.

Star Trek may be quiet now, which is disconcerting. Many fans have concerns about what direction Paramount Skydance's new management will take Star Trek. Yet Star Trek has endured for 60 years, and the venerable I.P. will continue. The second half of Star Trek's 60th anniversary will hopefully give a clearer, and, fingers-crossed, exciting idea of Star Trek's future."

Link:

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-2026-save-60th-anniversary/

WhatCulture:

"Star Trek: Everything We NOW Know About The Klingons"

https://whatculture.com/tv/star-trek-everything-we-now-know-about-the-klingons

By Sean Ferrick

1. They Don't All Look The Same

>While this fact has been apparent for quite some time, introducing the changes that Star Trek: Discovery (in particular) made to the Empire has both broadened the Klingons and created a number of headaches. The vastly different Klingons first seen in The Vulcan Hello were, at that point, a new and unique addition to Trek lore.

2. They Covered Their Homeworld With Dilithium Reactors. Whoops.

>We know that the Burn was caused by a ripple effect, emanating from Theta Zeta and the tragedy that befell the KSF Khi'eth. When Su'Kal was orphaned on the planet, his explosion of grief sent a shockwave through all active dilithium in the galaxy, rendering it inert. Star Trek: Discovery focused on the ships that were destroyed as a result of this, while Star Trek: Starfleet Academy introduced a new devastation.

>Qo'Nos was largely destroyed. The planet was littered with large dilithium reactors. These reactors were far from immune to the wave. They also exploded, causing massive damage to the planet's surface. Billions of Klingons died in an instant, while the Empire was reduced to a shadow of its former self.

3. Their Traditions Almost Wiped Them Out

>Drekol, one of Jay-Den's fathers, was unable to simply permit his son to enter the Academy. Instead, seeing his son for what he was, he 'abandoned' him on Krios Prime. Learning from the Klingon interpretation of tradition, and circumventing it, Starfleet 'declared war' on the remaining Klingons over their supposed 'invasion' of their space.

>It took some interpretation of Klingon traditions to get around them, yet the more open-minded among them helped preserve them, while helping the Empire to move forward.

4. They're Not Just Confined To One Universe

>Mike McMahan seemingly knew exactly what he was doing when he included that big change in his finale. When struck by an anomaly, the Klingons the audience was used to seeing in the 90s suddenly transformed into those Klingons introduced in The Vulcan Hello. That same anomaly is revealed to be a gate into other universes.

5. Their Blood Is Still Pink. And Red. And White?

>Star Trek: Lower Decks seems to confirm that in the 24th century, Klingon blood remains pink. However, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Star Trek: Generations, Discovery, and Picard all depict Klingon blood as red. Starfleet Academy, introducing a Klingon-Jem'hadar hybrid in the form of Lura Thok, shows white blood, although that can safely be discounted here, as she is a unique case.

6. Azetbur Was Not The First Female Chancellor

>Star Trek: Discovery introduced some of the most radical and long-lasting changes to Klingon lore in the modern era of Trek. ... Azetbur rose to power in the 23rd Century and little is known about her Chancellorship. Before here, there was L'Rell. L'Rell served as one of T'Kuvma's devotees before and during the Klingon-Federation War in 2257.

7. They Actually Really Care About Preserving The Timeline

>In the 23rd Century, Captain Christopher Pike discovered, having met with Tenavik on Borath's surface, that the monks also cared for time crystals. These crystals, when properly utilised, allowed the bearer to travel through time. One was gifted to the Discovery and Michael Burnham, allowing them to travel into the far future. The price was Pike learning his own grizzly future fate.

>It was that fate that brought Pike face-to-face with himself. Now, granted the knowledge of his future, he sought to change it. In doing so, he failed to prevent a war between Starfleet and the Romulan Star Empire, resulting in millions of deaths - including Spock's.

>Having seen the result of his actions, a determined Admiral Pike was sent backwards in time by the monks to restore the flow of time, sacrificing his own future to save the present. [Strange New Worlds]

8. After Another Thousand Years, They Still Really Dig Their Ceremonies

>In 300th Night [in SFA], [Jay-Den] invited his friends (sans Tarima, apparently) to take part in the R'uustai Ceremony. This ceremony was Jay-Den's invitation for them to join his family, which audiences previous saw demonstrated in The Bonding. Worf invited Jeremy Aster to join his family, following the death of the latter's mother.

9. They Found A New Ally In A Surprising Place

>Times change, and somewhere between the 24th and 32nd Centuries, the manner in which the Jem'hadar reproduced had evolved. This allowed Thok's Klingon mother, Asmaret, to produce a child with a Jem'hadar male.

10. Tears, Jay-Den Kraag?

>An extension of our earlier entry regarding the colour of Klingon blood, it was firmly established in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country that Klingons, in the late 23rd Century, did not possess tear ducts. This, Spock, assured Scotty and Valeris, explained why Azetbur shed no tears for her father.

>In Vox In Excelso, Jay-Den is seen crying over the death of his brother, Thar. As we have already discussed, the Klingon species underwent significant changes between the 23rd, 24th, and 32nd centuries. The evolution of tear ducts, perhaps and most probably as a result of interbreeding with other alien species, seems to make sense. ...

>It seems as though Klingons, or at least some of them, have always possessed the ability to cry."

Read more:

https://whatculture.com/tv/star-trek-everything-we-now-know-about-the-klingons

Slashfilm:

By Witney Seibold

>"So it seems that keeping "Star Trek" planets unified was done solely for writerly convenience, right?

>Actually, no. There's also a canonical reason for the worlds throughout "Star Trek" to be unified. In Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future, humanity has come together to rid itself of prejudice, reject war, and jettison money from our lives. Humans use their scientific curiosity and engineering know-how to become explorers and diplomats, equipping themselves to go on errands of mercy and aid. Earth in a pacifist utopia devoted to bettering its inhabitants.

...

>Because humans had invented warp-speed travel, they were finally seen as belonging to a larger galactic community of many, many alien species. When humans learned this, they unified. The previously fractured governments united as one, and the whole of the planet became devoted to being good interstellar neighbors.

>This was emphasized in the "Next Generation" episode that was also called "First Contact" (I know, it's a little confusing). In that episode, the Enterprise encountered a planet that was on the brink of inventing warp engines, but that was still politically divided across the globe. It was determined that the planet had to unify before being ready to traverse the heavens. If a planet wants to be part of the larger galactic community, it kind of has to be united.

...

>So if we run into a wholly united world on "Star Trek," it's because they had to be united in order just to play along. In the canon of "Star Trek," total global unification is the price of admission. It's not just writerly convenience that keeps worlds unified in the franchise, it's a devotion to Gene Roddenberry's utopian fantasies of unity. (Well, also it's writerly convenience.)

>Of course if all Klingons are devoted to combat, and all Vulcans are devoted to logic, etc., what is the unifying ethos of humans? ...

>The overarching implication is that humans on "Star Trek" are a species devoted to helping others.

>On a personal level, "Star Trek" humans are also very welcoming, often bringing visiting aliens to social gatherings and introducing them to various foods and customs. So we humans are unified as the best possible versions of ourselves: friendly helpers."

Read More:

https://www.slashfilm.com/2161475/why-klingons-dress-same-star-trek-explained/

Redshirts:

https://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-must-see-streaming-reasons-ranked/1

By Michael Weyer

>"While there has been widespread praise for the acting, there have also been criticisms of the writing, the pacing, and too much filler in the first 10 episodes. That’s without the sadly toxic side of the fandom, whose views of it are pretty horrible for the wrong reasons. The fact that the show was canceled before its second season even dropped on streaming gives the impression there’s no reason for newcomers to watch SFA. But if they ignore it, they’re missing a show that’s far better than its reputation.

>Holly Hunter is only the leader of a fine cast and some story beats and some episodes harken back to classic Star Trek. With that in mind, the following are just five reasons why Starfleet Academy is must-see streaming.

First female Jem’Hadar, Lura Thok

>Gina Yashere imbues the character with a drill sergeant mentality that’s mixed with some light humor, such as relishing making a cadet run off crying. She’s big, bold, and hearing her bark out orders never gets old.

>There are softer bits for Lura, such as her relationship with sardonic Jett Reno. We don’t know much about Lura's background, and, hopefully, the second season gives her a spotlight before the series ends. At least, we see a unique evolution for the Jem’Hadar as more than cannon-fodder troops with Thok leading the way for them in this new century.

First gay Klingon, Jay-Den Kraag

>Rather than coming in boasting, prone to violence and short-tempered, Jay-Den was more reserved, even nervous at times. Then there was how Jay-Den wanted to be a medic, not a warrior, as healing others seems to go against the Klingon mantra. Karim Diane was a fine choice for the role, putting a different spin on a classic Klingon performance that made the character resonate. ... Jay-Den gave us a new look at Klingon culture, and that alone makes SFA a memorable series.

DS9 tribute episode

>First, giving the spotlight to Kerrice Brooks and her unique living hologram SAM character was brilliant. SAM’s quest to learn the fate of Benjamin Sisko served as a grand love letter to Deep Space Nine, reminding fans why that show was so magical. ... By showing the man behind the legend of Sisko, SFA did a fantastic tribute to one of the best Star Trek shows ever, while carving its own mark on Trek lore.

Doctor/Voyager tribute episode

>Picardo was stellar in the entire sequence, with The Doctor ending up becoming a father to the reprogrammed SAM. This must-see episode was a well-penned second chance for The Doctor to build on a family bond that Voyager fans had missed.

Paul Giamatti

>Seeing him and Holly Hunter face off on-screen was always a delight, with a strange chemistry that worked well. Yet Giamatti also showed the brilliance hiding under Braka’s behavior. He was a conniving genius at times who could outwit Starfleet and was close to bringing the Federation down. Giamatti even gained sympathy with Braka’s backstory, proving he was trapped on this dark path.

Read more:

https://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-must-see-streaming-reasons-ranked

Looper:

https://www.looper.com/2173194/star-trek-enterprise-finale-problem-key-fix-canon/

By Pauli Poisuo

>"Another reason why the veracity of Riker's holoprogram is highly dubious is the fact that he interacts with his environment in ways that couldn't possibly be a part of the NX-01's real final mission. This should be impossible in a faithful recording, because it's not like he's time traveling. Riker wasn't there, so he should be unable to influence the events in any way.

>Notably, Riker uses his chef guise to have a lengthy conversation with T'Pol (Jolene Blalock), who ends up giving him some important insight for his own Pegasus woes. Since it's highly unlikely that T'Pol had this exact conversation with the ship's real chef back in the day, the scene proves that whatever holoprogram Riker is watching deviates pretty heavily from a straightforward historical recording. Instead, what he's playing with seems to be far closer to the kind of approximate period holodeck scenario that "Star Trek: The Next Generation" characters often use for recreation than a wholly accurate reproduction. Effectively, Riker is tinkering with an immersive "Star Trek: Enterprise" game, or perhaps an interactive novel.

...

>So. We have a culture that thrives on fiction, an event that has been adapted into a holoprogram from an unknown and potentially dubious pre-holodeck source, and major character moments that are suspiciously uncharacteristic and even outright impossible. Do we really want to believe that the events as witnessed by Riker are canon?

>If and when we choose to assume that Trip Tucker's death and the T'Pol conversation didn't happen the way Riker's holoprogram depicts, we also have to consider the follow-up question: what can we trust about the "Star Trek: Enterprise" finale, then? The answer is simple. Not a lot, beyond what Riker and Troi do outside the simulation. There you go, Trekkies: consider the finale fixed, and feel free to mentally substitute your own fate for the NX-01 crew in general ... and Trip in particular."

Read More:

https://www.looper.com/2173194/star-trek-enterprise-finale-problem-key-fix-canon/

Screenrant:

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-different-discovery-original-plan/

By Cathal Gunning

>"It is tempting to say that, after the mixed reception of the new era, this would have been an unadulterated positive development for the franchise. However, that’s not quite true, and does a disservice to both the impact Discovery had on the franchise and the ripple effects of its critical success.

>Some of Star Trek’s more recent projects proved divisive, such as Starfleet Academy and the infamously bad 2025 TV movie Section 31. However, both Discovery and Strange New Worlds were widely beloved, and Netflix’s animated spinoff, Star Trek: Prodigy, was an unexpected delight that relied heavily on the franchise’s far-future timeline for its alien-centric storyline to make sense.

>As such, it is unfairly simplistic to say that Discovery’s original proposed anthology format would have fixed the myriad issues that the franchise has faced over the last nine years. However, it is still interesting to imagine whether Star Trek’s critical missteps in this era can be traced back to the decision to change the very premise of Star Trek: Discovery."

Read more:

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-different-discovery-original-plan/

Slashfilm:

https://www.slashfilm.com/2128037/star-trek-the-next-generation-uss-enterprise-easy-design/

By Witney Seibold

"As Probert himself said:

>"Although I was brought on to design the bridge, naturally I wanted to design the exterior of the ship if given the opportunity. I was doing little doodles of what I would like to see the new ship look like, and I tacked one of those doodles on the wall in front of me. One day, David Gerrold came in to talk, and he glanced up and said, 'Hey, is that the new ship?' I said I didn't know, so he said 'Let's find out," and he pulled it off the wall and left. A little while later, he came back, slapped it down in my desk and said, 'Yup, that's the new ship.'"

Probert didn't even think his drawing would ever be seen, much less used. But there it was. He doodled it, and it came to life. Later on Andrew Probert learned that David Gerrold was already on his way to a meeting with Gene Roddenberry, as well as "Next Generation" producers Bob Justman and Herbert Wright. Gerrold showed Probert's sketch to the team, and they all fell in love immediately. One can see a photo of Probert's initial sketch online in various places. There really wasn't much of a change from those initial drawings to the final ship.

Gene Roddenberry, it seems, only had two notes for Probert. For one, Roddenberry wanted the ship to be a little longer. The Enterprise-D, it should be noted, is twice as large as the Enterprise seen in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," something Probert came up with. Roddenberry liked the idea of an extra-long ship, and actually requested that Probert make its warp nacelles even longer than they had been. He was used to the longer engines on the original Enterprise. Probert accommodated. All told, the Enterprise-D was 2,180 feet long.

Also, in Probert's original sketch, the top of the Enterprise-D's saucer section was perfectly smooth. Roddenberry reminded Probert that he liked the bridge of a starship to be right on the top. ..."

Read More:

https://www.slashfilm.com/2128037/star-trek-the-next-generation-uss-enterprise-easy-design/

LOOPER:

https://www.looper.com/2048018/times-star-trek-revisited-old-episodes/

By Adam Levine

>"Star Trek" has produced more television episodes and movies than most franchises you could name. Across nearly 60 years, it's seen multiple high-profile revivals with several distinct eras of stories, and each generation of "Star Trek" stories has become beloved and iconic in its own way. More than many other franchises, "Star Trek" has also been retrospective, with a fondness for its own past and a deep appreciation for everything that has come before. Thanks to its embrace of sci-fi tropes, too — including some of the best time travel stories in the franchise — this has often led to episodes that directly revisit classic installments from that past.

>Over the years, "Star Trek" has gone back in time, sometimes literally, and revisited, retold, or otherwise reconceived old episodes, and one might be surprised at just how often they've done it. In fact, some of these revisitations have become iconic and beloved in their own right, a testament to the quality of writing and cleverness of scripts that rewove old tales into new ones. So focus the deflector dish and emit an inverse tachyon pulse, because we're opening a spatial fissure and setting a course for a look back at 10 times "Star Trek" revisited older episodes, from the original "Star Trek" series to today."

Read More:

https://www.looper.com/2048018/times-star-trek-revisited-old-episodes/

Ed Gross:

>"That debate has become especially intense surrounding the Year One project, with numerous Reddit commenters stressing that it was never officially greenlit and may have existed only as an internal pitch similar to the proposed Star Trek: Legacy continuation following Star Trek: Picard.

>But perhaps the strongest reactions center on the idea of yet another Kirk-and-Spock-era prequel. A sizable portion of the fandom appears increasingly frustrated with what they see as Star Trek repeatedly revisiting its own past instead of moving forward with new crews, new ships and entirely original storytelling. The concern is that the constant focus on legacy material may actually be hurting newer Trek shows creatively. Several fans argued they would rather see the franchise introduce a completely original crew and ship set beyond the timeline of the existing series than continue circling the Kirk era indefinitely. All told, you can see the push-pull when it comes to the fans and the franchise."

Read more:

https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/movies/what-to-know-about-the-new-star-trek-movie-and-star-trek-year-one

Ethan Peck:

>"I think both Chapel and Kirk represent teachers for him. And as he learns more about his humanness, he becomes less human.

>And so, I think the sort of hurt that he experiences from the vulnerability of what I would associate with humanness — which is emotion, and him really striving towards logic — teaches him to be more logical, to be hurt less. And he sort of becomes less human through these relationships in a funny way."

Redshirts:

>"Playing off the largely unexplored flirtation between Christine (Majel Barrett) and Spock (Nimoy) in The Original Series, Strange New Worlds threw the two crew members and friends into a full-blown romance, but it sadly ended. So, Peck’s Spock learned more than he probably wanted to know about the strong, bittersweet emotions associated with a Vulcan dating a human thanks to his brief time with Jess Bush’s Christine on SNW.

>And, of course, Spock’s growing friendship with Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk will undoubtedly bring out more of his human side. So, I disagree with Peck’s assessment that his character “becomes less human.” Rather, I think these continued, close entanglements with humans will continue to challenge and even soften his Vulcan half."

Link:

https://redshirtsalwaysdie.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-spock-teachers-ethan-peck-explained

Trekmovie:

>"... a sci-fi series which aired on Fox concurrently with multiple Star Trek series, running for nine seasons from 1993 through to 2002. On Wednesday, Pluto TV announced the winner, and it was Star Trek that came out on top — on Facebook. On Instagram, it was The X-Files that prevailed over Star Trek in the final championship. (Not surprisingly, TikTok was a whole other story, where neither of those shows made it into the finals and Charmed came out the winner.)

>Of course all of this is another way to remind people that Pluto TV streams five Star Trek shows for free.

>So there’s a bit of good news for Trek as it defeats several popular fandoms, including The X-Files, a solid show, with a lasting legacy. And this year was certainly more competitive among the sci-fi shows; last year’s winner was Strawberry Shortcake & Friends."

Link:

https://trekmovie.com/2026/05/15/star-trek-wins-pluto-tvs-battle-of-the-fandoms-on-facebook/

Screenrant:

"Only One Starship Enterprise Was An Instant Star Trek Disaster"

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-uss-enterprise-a-disaster/

>"Introduced at the end of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Captain James T. Kirk's USS Enterprise-A was initially a debacle. The euphoria of Kirk and his crew having "come home" by being rewarded with a new Enterprise was quickly upended at the start of the next movie, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

>Star Trek V revealed that the USS Enterprise-A was a mess. Despite a functioning warp drive, multiple systems were malfunctioning. Scotty (James Doohan) had three weeks to repair the Enterprise after its initial shakedown cruise, but Kirk's replacement was still a clunker when he led his mission to Nimbus III, which took them to Sha Ka Ree at the center of the galaxy.

...

>In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the previous Constitution-class USS Enterprise underwent a full refit and was the most powerful vessel in Starfleet at the time. Star Trek: First Contact debuted the Sovereign-class USS Enterprise-E, the most advanced starship of its 24th century era. Both of Captain Kirk's Enterprises in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek trilogy were top of the line.

>Although Captain Kirk's USS Enterprise-A only served for seven years, from its 2286 launch in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home to its 2293 decommissioning in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the A ended up as one of the longest-lived versions of the Enterprise.

>Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed that the USS Enterprise-A was preserved at the Fleet Museum on Athan Prime at the dawn of the 25th century. The only Enterprise that's older and still intact was Captain Jonathan Archer's (Scott Bakula) refitted NX-01 Enterprise, which was active in the 22nd century."

Link:

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-uss-enterprise-a-disaster/

Slashfilm:

https://www.slashfilm.com/2162008/star-trek-voyager-best-holodeck-stories-pitched-kate-mulgrew/

By Witney Seibold

>"Later in "Star Trek: Voyager," Leonardo da Vinci seems to have been retired for a more salacious holographic companion. In the 2000 episode "Fair Haven," Janeway visited a fictional Irish bar where she met a rough-hewn and handsome bartender named Michael Sullivan (Fintan McKeown). Captain Janeway was intensely attracted to him, and he served as a perhaps-romantic interest — or a mere sexual fantasy — for the character. Mulgrew also liked working with McKeown, but it wasn't her idea to pair Janeway with a handsome bartender. ...

>So Janeway was granted an intellectual holodeck thrill, and something of a prurient one as well — both of which are grand favors to the character. Sullivan returned in "Spirit Folk," one of the worst episodes of the series.

>Captain Janeway is one of the better "Star Trek" characters, as she is full of contradictions. She values togetherness and scientific rigor, but also tends to bend toward unnecessary risks and even ideas of authoritarianism. It's perfectly fitting, then, that her two greatest play-acting fantasies would be learning from an intellectual giant and making out with a handsome Irish bartender."

Read more:

https://www.slashfilm.com/2162008/star-trek-voyager-best-holodeck-stories-pitched-kate-mulgrew/