For over 60 years, the Doctor has contained multitudes... but so has the pantheon of Star Trek characters near and far. There are so many weird, wobbly players in the Star Trek universe that would fit right in with a time machine and a sonic screwdriver that I am almost certain to miss about 10 of them. That is why I'm keeping this list down to the three Trek characters perfectly suited to play Doctor Who.
Garak
This one is easy. Garak is a man of secrets. Not only does he lie, but he is a master at blurring the line between lies and truth. It is always a game to him, or, at least, an opportunity to hone his lying abilities. He is a wibbly wobbly, wily man, but at those rare moments where he lets his guard down and betrays genuine emotion, he becomes the most tragic character in Star Trek — and all the more terrifying for it.
If Garak had the right resources, he would be the very picture of a smiling, cheerful man with a conflicted but ultimately good heart. Garak's version of Doctor Who could trick you into the event horizon of a collapsing galaxy for all eternity if you really did him wrong. Garak is definitely Doctor material.
Q
Q is another easy one, and the godlike trickster isn’t afraid to rub his omnipotence in your face. Q is not a serious man, but he is usually on a serious mission — usually to teach mankind about their potential for greatness or self-destruction (often at the same time). Q has a Doctor-like obsession with the human race, passing through their neck of the woods so often that one would think he sees something of himself in them.
The life Q could have had, perhaps. He does form emotional connections, which often threaten to throw him off balance and compromise his omnipotence. Q is unpredictable, and if he enjoys anything, it is disrupting the dull, pedantic lives of the normies he comes into contact with. He bestrides humankind like a colossus, never fearing the consequence of his interferences, and yet nonetheless, he still can’t help but want to learn from them. Q is Doctor Who to the core.
Spock
This is a bit of a stretch, but I think there is a strong case to be made for Mr. Spock. While most of the fan-favorite Doctors play fast and loose with their emotions, it is usually a mask concealing a deeply stunted emotional state. The Doctor is alien to those around him, and no matter how hard he tries to hide it, his otherness always comes back to make problems for him. So it is with Spock.
Even when Spock tries to act normal, like in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Those Old Scientists," it only serves to alienate the people who care for him. By the time of The Original Series, Spock has closed himself off from making new emotional bonds, except as a mentor to Vulcans such as Saavik and Valeris, which occurred during the TOS films. Spock is willing to risk embarrassing himself, but will only react with sardonic, eyebrow raising bemusement, which allows him to insulate his feelings from being truly hurt.
Spock is able to forge warm connections with his colleagues — mostly just Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy — almost exclusively through shrewd interjections or witty repartee, much like Tom Baker and Peter Capaldi's versions of the Doctor. Spock dispenses with David Tennant or Matt Smith’s attempts to come off cool to the youth, and defiantly embraces his own uniqueness with a wry smirk, opinions of others be damned.
Spock behaves as the Doctor does after he stops trying to be "normal." In so doing, both characters force the popular conception of “normal” to gravitate towards them over time — thus ensuring a legacy that will live long, "laugh hard, run fast, [and] be kind."
Trekkies, is our list logical? Whovians, is it absolutely fantastic? Or do you disagree with our choices? Who is the perfect Star Trek character to take up the mantle of Doctor Who? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.