Fans of the Star Trek franchise have always met new series with a mix of excitement and trepidation, but few are more divisive than Star Trek: Enterprise. From questionable production values to slow-moving plot arcs, some fans feel the series doesn’t fit in with other Trek shows (and don’t even get some people started on the theme song.) However, Star Trek: Enterprise did give the franchise some memorable characters, with one of the most notable being Andorian Thy’lek Shran (Jeffery Combs). From helping other characters in the universe grow to adding an element of grumpy humor reminiscent of Dr. McCoy, Shran’s character improves the lives of those around him, whether he intends to or not.
Shran is an excellent foil for Captain Archer
Andorians are not known for having a friendly or open manner, and like others of his kind, Shran is, at first, rather xenophobic. He’s suspicious of other beings and cultures, especially the Vulcans. This makes him the perfect foil for Captain Archer, whose desire to make first contact with other beings (his initial dislike of Vulcans notwithstanding,) is a mirror image of the brash and suspicious Andorian. (Additionally, Scott Bakula and Jeffery Combs play extremely well off each other and have fantastic chemistry together.)
His character arc improved the show’s storytelling
Like any being, Shran’s personal growth was an essential part of his character arc, and this led to improved storytelling on Enterprise. From learning to trust other beings and communicate his ideas to them (such as in “The Shadows of P’Jem”) to experiencing the loss of his ship, the Kumari, Shran’s experiences with both his people, Vulcans, and Starfleet, made for some compelling storylines.
Shran gave viewers insight into Andorian culture
Before Shran, Andorians played a small role in Star Trek, usually relegated to background characters (“Journey To Babel,”) and viewers didn’t know much about who they were as a species. Shran’s story arc introduced us to their home world, Andoria, a world of ice and underground dwellings. Viewers also learned that Andorians have two male genders and form bonding groups to have children. These added facets, introduced via Shran, added much-needed dimensions to Andorian culture.
From introducing us to another strange new world to his amusing confrontations with Archer that eventually morph into friendship, Thy’lek Shran is an important character who improved Star Trek: Enterprise overall and raised the bar for the art of storytelling within the franchise universe.