Warning! The following contains SPOILERS from the Star Trek: Khan podcast
Nine suspenseful and intriguing episodes have come and gone, Trekkies. Needless to say, the ninth and final installment of the must-listen Star Trek: Khan podcast didn’t disappoint, nor did it pull any punches. After chronicling the events which happened to Khan Noonien Singh (Naveen Andrews) and his people, while they were marooned on Ceti Alpha V, the biggest question of all has finally been answered.
And the answer is, yes — Dr. Rosalind Lear (Sonya Cassidy) is actually the daughter of Khan and his beloved wife, Marla McGivers (Wrenn Schmidt).
Even before the big reveal was confirmed in Episode 9, Star Trek icon George Takei was already singing the praises of the mysterious character that his Captain Sulu and Tim Russ’ Ensign Tuvok of the USS Excelsior came face to face with during the audio drama. Takei said in an interview with StarTrek.com:
"[Dr. Lear] is an intellectual warrior. She comes to talk to me and immediately sets her position, a very adversarial position. I welcome her civilly, invite her to sit, and immediately she's challenging what [Starfleet is] doing. She's brilliant... unrelenting and fierce."
None of this should come as a surprise since Kali, which is Dr. Lear's real name, has Khan's gentically enhanced blood flowing through her veins. She was intent to prove that Captain James T. Kirk new that Ceti Alpha VI was going to explode before leaving Khan and Marla on Ceti Alpha V. And Sulu wasn't subscribing to what Lear was dishing out. Takei, who reprises his role as the beloved captain of the Excelsior, continued by saying during the same sit-down:
"I don't agree with her [Dr. Lear] at all, but I have respect for her as an academic and I know my position. I question her purpose, to what end is she spending all her intellectual energies and force. It becomes a fencing match, a well-matched adversary."
Dr. Lear was actually born Kali Noonien Singh on the doomed planet of Ceti Alpha V. The child never knew her mother because Marla had already succumbed to the Ceti Eel that infected her before being able to give birth. However, the former Starfleet historian was kept on life support to ensure Kali was born safely and healthy.
Unlike her father, who faced off against Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Kali survived to live and fight a different fight another day.
Want to know how it all unfolded? Listen to all nine installments of the Star Trek: Khan podcast for yourself, including the not-to-be-missed final episode of the exhilarating audio drama below. However, the key to Khan's wrath against Kirk boiled down to one heartbreaking moment, which unfolded in the final episode of the podcast, "Eternity's Face."
Khan makes sure his one remaining true love escapes Ceti Alpha V aboard the small vessel named Venture. Unfortunately, even though Kali survives and grows up to take on the guise of Dr. Rosalind Lear, Khan and his people believe the Venture was destroyed when they mistook a fuel pod exploding in the atmosphere for the ship's destruction.
In that heartbreaking moment, believing his "little goddess" died, Khan Noonien Singh becomes the vengeful maniac Admiral Kirk squares off against in The Wrath of Khan.
I can't praise the Khan podcast enough. The storytelling was thrilling, and the actors all had their respective moments to shine, each flexing their acting chops in the most authentic ways possible. It's also worth nothing that Naveen Andrews now holds the record for having portrayed Khan Noonien Singh more times than any other actor, and Wrenn Schmidt shined in the integral role of Marla McGivers.
Have you listened to the Star Trek: Khan podcast in its entirety yet? If so, what do you think about Dr. Rosalind Lear being the daughter of Khan and Marla McGivers? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And check out the final episode of the must-listen audio drama below.