Redshirts Always Die
Fansided

The best Star Trek trial episodes

By Marc Kick

CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 04: The gavel sits on the podium during day one of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 4, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The DNC that will run through September 7, will nominate U.S. President Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 04: The gavel sits on the podium during day one of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 4, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The DNC that will run through September 7, will nominate U.S. President Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS – AUGUST 11: Actor John de Lancie, who played the character “Q” on the television series “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” speaks at the Star Trek convention at the Las Vegas Hilton August 11, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS – AUGUST 11: Actor John de Lancie, who played the character “Q” on the television series “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” speaks at the Star Trek convention at the Las Vegas Hilton August 11, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

VOY: S2, E18: Death Wish: When Voyager comes across a member of the Q Continuum with a death wish, Janeway is tasked with deciding if Q -not THAT Q- should be granted mortality so he can commit suicide.

If you’re a Q, eternal life is forced upon you by simply being a member of the species, and apparently to at least one member of the Q Continuum, immortality is a curse. He’s done everything and seen everything there is to see and do. As he would put it, “When life has become futile, meaningless, unendurable, it must be allowed to end.”

I love this episode too, it’s got a lot of great dialogue from Kate Mulgrew, John De Lancie, and especially Gerritt Graham, who plays Quinn, the Q who wants to end his life. Even a trip to a representation of the Q Continuum and an appearance by Will Riker are highlights of this terrific episode. A must watch!

TNG: S5, E19: The First Duty: Captain Picard is called upon to make the commencement address for the graduation ceremony at Starfleet Academy but receives some bad news as it pertains to Cadet Wesley Crusher.

As it turns out, Wesley was involved in an accident while flying as a part of Nova Squadron when they attempted a banned maneuver that resulted in one member’s death. The leader of Nova Squadron, Cadet Nicholas Locarno has instructed his fellow cadets to cover up their intentions while on the stand in front of the Academy inquiry board. While investigating the accident, Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise piece together exactly what the squadron were attempting to do, and Picard issues the following orders to Wesley: “The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it’s scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based, and if you can’t find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don’t deserve to wear that uniform. I’m going to make this simple for you, Mr. Crusher; either you come forward and tell Admiral Brand what really took place, or I will.”

Another can’t miss episode which delves deep into the question of whether it’s still telling the truth if you don’t offer up all the information you possess. Nicholas Locarno’s character here is loosely the basis of the Tom Paris character for Voyager, both played by the same Star Trek actor, Robert Duncan McNeill, and he does a great job in doing his best to convince Wesley to go along with the plan, citing the importance of his commitment to his teammates, sticking together, and showing unity. Further reading on my thoughts on Tom Paris/Nick Locarno on Voyager can be found here.

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