Episode 7 of StarTrek: Starfleet Academy, “Ko’Zeine,” brought us to a moon near the homeworld of the Khionians, the aquatic alien species that includes cadet Darem Reymi (George Hawkins). However, rather than seeing them in their true forms, everyone there was seen as humans.
Speaking to TrekMovie.com, Hawkins revealed this wasn’t just because of lack of makeup but also a deliberate character choice. The actor said, "There was a beautiful expression that Alex [Kurtzman] gave me. Being in his Khionian form is like exhaling. So to be in his skin is to breathe. And this wedding does not feel like a place where Darem can breathe."
Hawkins continued by saying:
"I think this is a pinnacle point of something that Darem had actually been running away from his whole life. He says at the start of the episode, 'I thought I had more time.' I thought I could go and explore an adventure for a few years and then come back to my responsibilities. For me, how I made sense of it was Darem can’t breathe here. This is not a free place for Darem to be."
Darem was taken to his people as he had long been promised to wed Kaira, and she was set to take the throne, making him a king. The story unfolded with Darem believing he had more time to attend the Academy before these duties. Thankfully, Kaira could tell Darem wasn’t committed to the marriage and urged him to abdicate, which allowed him to attend the Academy after all.
As nice as Hawkins’ explanation is, it’s not hard to imagine it’s a cover for the far more logical idea that the producers just didn’t have the budget to showcase an aquatic race on a sea-covered planet. So far, we’ve only seen Darem in his “normal” Khionian form briefly in the pilot as he seems to prefer looking human to fit in among his classmates.
Thus, not seeing more of his people as they truly are seemed a wasted opportunity. It’s a shame, as exploring an unknown race like the Khionians had so much potential, but Trek fans had to settle for this odd wedding.
For more Star Trek content, visit the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is now streaming on Paramount+.