first trill on star trek

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• Races and cultures
• Alpha Quadrant races and cultures
• Federation races and cultures
• Humanoid species
• 1.1 Biology
• 1.2.1 Rituals
• 1.3.1 Civilization
• 1.3.2 Alternate timelines
• 2.1 Notable Trill
• 3.1 Appearances
• 3.2 External link

History and specifics [ ]

Biology [ ].

Trill Internal Anatomy

Trill were marsupials , and as such, had abdominal pouches with which to provide incubation for their newborns. Both males and females had pouches, and both sexes were capable of incubation. The pouch was also used as a conduit for medications to quickly enter the body, as well as the joining point between host and Trill symbiont .

Tens of thousands of years ago , the bipedal Trill humanoid was covered in sleek fur and had a steeply ridged brow. It was at this stage of their evolution that the first joining occurred. ( DS9 - Worlds of DS9 - Volume Two novel : Trill: Unjoined )

An important neurotransmitter in the Trill brain is isoboramine . ( DS9 episode : " Equilibrium ", DSC episode : " Forget Me Not ")

Culture [ ]

The Trill mathematical system is noted for containing ethical modes. ( TNG novel : Intellivore )

The Trill ruling council was divided into junior and senior members. Senior members, whose symbionts had lived more than one lifetime, were allowed to call general meetings. Junior members, whose symbionts had lived only one, were not. Membership was restricted to joined men until the 21st century. ( DS9 short story : " First Steps ")

While Trill society was sharply gendered for generations, the custom of symbionts swapping between successive male and female hosts made for an androgynous subculture. ( DS9 short story : " First Steps ")

Rituals [ ]

• rite of emergence

History [ ]

Around 23,000 BC , a Trill symbiont named Sef enticed a walker to the Pool in which it lived and entered its pouch becoming the first joined Trill. ( DS9 - Worlds of DS9 - Volume Two novel : Trill: Unjoined )

Two major factors contributed to the rise of Trill technology: the memories of symbionts, and easy access to ores and heavy metals. The symbionts could communicate with the humanoid Trills through joining, although the ways and means of the first jining remain shrouded in secrecy by the Trill Symbiosis Commission . Symbionts passed from host to host but retained their memories and friendships, and kept Trill society centered on a long-term view. Geologically, the planet Trill 's heavy tectonic activity led to the formation of quakecaverns and eroded tunnels, through which the Trill could easily gain access to deposits of iron, aluminum, and other useful metals. The combination of the two factors led to the rapid rise of technology. ( Decipher RPG module : Worlds )

As Trill society grew, their governments adopted a system influenced by the symbionts. The symbiont populations grew much more slowly than the humanoid Trill populations, so many Trills competed to have the right qualifications to be selected as a host. This general competitiveness showed through academic achievement and philosophical development—the symbionts made it clear that they would reject violent individuals who tried to become hosts by force. As a result, all Trill civilization stressed a high level of education and ethical personal responsibility. By the time they had covered all of their planet's landmasses, the Trill already had a unified world government, a meritocracy run through systems of examinations and scientific appointments. This system was well in place by the time the Trill met the Federation , but matters were still cool between the two powers. Trills valued their independence and their position as a neutral party. Over the exchange of several decades, it became clear that the Federation stood for the same high values that Trill society encouraged—and that the members of the Federation had embraced those values, due to long years of struggle and learning, having worked hard to establish what came naturally to Trill culture. Eventually, the Trill applied for and received Federation membership in one of the fastest turnaround times from application to completion. ( Decipher RPG module : Worlds )

Civilization [ ]

Trills have a civilization marked by a decided lack of conflict. The combination of environment taking off population pressures, crossed with the stabilizing influence of the peaceful symbionts, helped to make the Trill into intellectuals instead of warriors. Their war was not to subdue other cultures for resources, but rather to tame the environment. ( Decipher RPG module : Worlds )

The Vulcans made first contact with Trill circa 2055, during the youth of Lela Dax . The highly divisive first contact "crisis" engendered many policy changes regarding the symbionts, including putting the symbiont pools under guard. The Trill government adopted a xenophobic stance, repulsing any contact with other alien species. Messages were sent to alien ships asking them to bypass the Trill system. This policy continued until the L'Dira incident in 2075. ( DS9 short story : " First Steps ")

By the 22nd century , Trills had largely tamed their world, and engaged in rudimentary space travel and contacts with other cultures through subspace radio . The close of the 22nd century saw the Trill invention of warp drive . By the 23rd century , Trill warp engines were on par with most Starfleet designs; Trill travelers became a common sight throughout the Alpha Quadrant , although their symbionts remained secret and the Trill had little desire to colonize or conquer other worlds. ( Decipher RPG module : Worlds )

The Burn , an apocalyptic event which took place in the 31st century , greatly affected Trill. The population was decimated, and the survivors withdrew from the Federation. ( DSC episode : " Forget Me Not ")

Alternate timelines [ ]

In the Kelvin timeline , Doctor Leonard McCoy had a nightmare in 2255 where he had to treat streams of patients, including Trill, all by himself. ( TOS - Starfleet Academy novel : The Assassination Game )

In another alternate timeline , the Trill scientist Jadzia Dax subscribed to the Bajoran religion . ( SCE eBook : Lost Time )

In one permutation of the mirror universe , the Terran Empire made contact with the Trill homeworld in the 23rd century . Spock , Emperor of the Terran Empire , had all Trill symbionts in the Caves of Mak'ala killed by Captain Saavik of the ISS Enterprise , and organised the assassination of every joined Trill except for Curzon Dax . ( ST - Mirror Universe novel : The Sorrows of Empire )

Known Individuals [ ]

Notable trill [ ].

• Lenara Kahn
• Bejal Otner

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ], external link [ ].

• Trill article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 Lamarr class
• 2 Wesley Crusher
• 3 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)

Star Trek: Explaining The Trill Symbionts

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Star Trek has given fans of the science fiction genre a host of different alien species over the years, a list that keeps growing with each new addition into the franchise. There are the well-known classics such as the Vulcans, stoic, logic-based beacons of civilization , as well as lesser-known entities that appear fleetingly, like the Andorians. One species that falls right in the middle is the Trill and the Symbionts that reside within them.

The Trill, like many species within the Star Trek universe, are humanoid in appearance , with two rows of dark blue spots that go down the entirety of their body. Interestingly, when the Trill first appeared in a Next Generation episode, their appearance was different, with a defined v-shaped forehead ridge (they did love their forehead prosthetics ), changing to the blue-spotted variation during Deep Space 9. They did this because Paramount was concerned about obscuring Terry Farrell’s face (who played one of the main Trill characters) after spending “a long time seeking a beautiful actress.”

RELATED: Star Trek: Are The Ferengi An Anti-Semitic Stereotype

Despite their visual change, the symbiotic relationship introduced in Next Generation stayed the same, with a select few Trill having their bodies and personalities joined with a sentient symbiotic organism aptly called a Symbiont, essentially forming a new being who was a combination of the two. Their names reflect this join, the first name being the Trill’s birth name, the second being the Symbiont’s. For example, take Jadzia Dax, the heavily political Deep Space 9 Trill character mentioned above. Jadzia was the host body’s name, Dax was the centuries-old Symbiont.

While often seen as a parasitic relationship from outsiders, the joining of Trill and Symbiont was a great honor for the Trill. The Trill was governed by a group of individuals called the Guardians, both acting as an authoritative power, but also as protectors and carers for the Symbionts. When not joined with a host, Symbionts are rather helpless, slug-like creatures that could communicate telepathically, but needed to be cared for. As a Symbiont would live symbiotically with a host until the host's body died, it took many years for a Symbiont to return to the Guardians, meaning that, on average, there were only about 300 Symbionts available for the Trill to host every year. To prevent them from being fought over, and to keep the Trill from forcefully claiming Symbionts, there was circulated misinformation that only one in a thousand Trill could successfully pair with a symbiont, and that a grueling selection trial would help ween down those unsuitable. The reality was that most Trill could successfully pair with a symbiont, as long as they were strong enough to not have their personality overwhelmed.

The selection trials were overseen by the Symbiosis Commission, who would test the brightest and strongest Trill to ensure the Symbiont was to get the best possible Trill. These participants, although normally in their early 20s, were leading experts in their desired subjects. The Trill and Symbiont society, taking a leaf out of Bill Nye's book, valued scientific knowledge highly. Once a large portion of these Trill were rejected, they would come under the supervision of what was called a Field Docent, an existing Trill/Symbiont who would test their viability for the joining. This whole process raises some concerns with a lot of fans, who take issue with Star Trek ’s representation of privilege. That is because this process completely rules out those from less fortunate backgrounds, who did not have the same access to education and opportunities as others, despite them potentially being the most compatible hosts.

Once bonded, the Trill/Symbiont dynamic duo share in their personalities and memories, the new host becomes aware of the years of memories, life, and skills the symbiont has lived. They become one entity, no consciousness taking precedence, simply merging. Due to this, in some sense the previous Trill/Symbiont is gone, only possessing half of what gave that person their individual nature. An example of this was Jadzia Dax. Upon the death of Curzon Dax, her Trill predecessor and mentor to fan-favorite Captain Sisko , her personality changed somewhat. She adapted new habits such as holding her hands behind her back, and an interest in various aspects of Klingon culture. The habits, memories, and experiences that helped form the symbiont's previous lives came through, acting as background elements to her personality. Half of her was the same, but there was a whole new personality in there that wasn't before. Sisko often referred to her as “old man” a nickname he gave Curzon Dax, who was, in part, still there in the form of Jadzia.

Jadzia did a lot during her time on Deep Space 9 , such as marrying everyone's favorite Klingon: Worf. Their relationship grew over the series, blossoming into romance, marriage, and even them contemplating becoming parents. Tragically, in what was possibly the saddest episode of Star Trek produced in science-fiction history , Jadzia was killed in actions by the Cardassian Gul Dukat, a longtime series villain. Upon her death, the Dax symbiont was transferred to the Trill Ezri, becoming Ezri Dax (played by Nicole De Boer). Despite sharing the same symbiont, Jadzia and Ezri were completely different, Ezri presenting a wide-eyed and enthusiastic variation from Jadzia’s sultry confidence and charisma. Her presence posed a wonderful problem for her and Worf's relationship, Although Dax was still Dax, the body and half their personality had become someone new, and unfamiliar to what Worf had fallen in love with.

This brings to light another important element of Trill/Symbiont culture, that of Reassociation: when a Trill/Symbiont became re-romantically involved with previous hosts' partners. This was strictly forbidden by Trill culture, as a large part of their purpose in life, and their inherent drive, was to give the Symbionts new experiences over their millennia of life. Their hope was to experience everything they could possibly experience, rather than simply returning to lives they had already lived. Ezri already broke the rules to some degree by staying aboard Deep Space 9, but to rekindle Jadzia’s relationship with Worf would have resulted in her expulsion from Trill society.

The Trill offer audiences a refreshing take on the idea of killing off and then replacing a character like Tasha Yar . The shoes are being filled with an entirely new character, with their own personality and quirks, but at the same time, they have multiple series of history and character building. They are simultaneously someone known, and a complete stranger, something that the species repeatedly explores within the episodes.

MORE: How Star Trek: Voyager’s Seven of Nine Explores The Narrative Of Learned Humanity

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Trill ( Star Trek )

The Trill are a fictional species of symbiotic life forms , depicted in the Star Trek media franchise. First introduced in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , the species became a major part of the spin-off series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , which featured a Trill named Dax as one of its main characters.

Trill are depicted as comprising a humanoid host, and a worm-shaped symbiote that is implanted in the host's abdomen. Their personalities are a combination of the host and symbiote, with the symbiote's memories providing continuity between hosts. Their home world, also named Trill, is a planet in the Alpha Quadrant , the primary setting of most of the Star Trek series.

• 1 Depicted biology
• 2 Development of appearance and characterization
• 3.1 Depiction in non-canonical novels
• 4 Joined Trill characters
• 5 External links

Depicted biology [ ]

The hosts , as they are called, are humanoids that appear much like humans, except with distinctive black or brown spots visible from the top of the head, down each side of the face and neck, and down across the shoulders and the sides of the chest, thighs, legs to their feet. Their hands are noted for being unusually cold to the touch (" A Man Alone ", DS9 Season 1). Trill are strongly allergic to insect bites, because the toxins interfere with the biochemical connections between host and symbiont (" The Siege ", DS9 Season 2).

The symbionts are helpless, worm-shaped lifeforms who contain the memories of their previous hosts, and who inhabit the abdomens of the humanoid hosts. When a host and a symbiont are joined, the resulting individual is considered a new being. When a host dies, the symbiont is transplanted into a new host. Ninety-three hours after the joining, the host and symbiont are completely interdependent, but up to then, the joining may be reversed without killing the host. A symbiont who is neither implanted into a new host nor returned to their habitat (pools of nutrient-rich liquid on the Trill homeworld) will quickly die, as will a joined Trill host within one to two days of the symbiont being removed.

In rare cases, Trill symbionts can be joined with non-Trill humanoids, but the differences in biology means the results are often unstable (" The Host ", TNG ). Commander William Riker was briefly joined to the Odan symbiont so that Odan could complete peace negotiations, and to keep Odan alive until a new Trill host could arrive. While this effort saved Odan's life, it nearly caused Riker's death.

Development of appearance and characterization [ ]

Odan, a Trill as seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation

In the first appearance of Trill in the TNG episode " The Host ", Trill were depicted physically quite differently than their later appearances. Also, they were unable to be safely transported via transporter , a weakness not shown in later appearances when Trill became a regularly used race. No explanation of the differences is ever given onscreen, but according to an article on startrek.com, humanoid Trills are actually composed of at least two races that can be used as hosts for the symbiont. It is also revealed in this episode that humans can also serve as temporary hosts to the symbionts when Commander William Riker hosted Odan's symbiont. The crew's general unfamiliarity with the race is a minor contradiction with later episodes, which stated that the Trill (such as Curzon Dax) had been working with the Federation regularly long before their first appearance in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ; " Trials and Tribble-ations " implied that a host of Dax was romantically involved with Leonard McCoy when the original Star Trek series character was still a college student. Other differences included the change in makeup style from a prosthetic forehead to a series of spots, although some makeup tests and sketches were made in the preproduction of Deep Space Nine using the earlier makeup style, but the actress who would play Jadzia Dax , Terry Farrell , proved allergic to the extensive prostheses, and so the new style was created. The Trill naming style, of using their host name as a first name and their symbiont name as a surname, differs from their first appearance, in which the Trill Odan was only known by that one name.

"The Joining" and Trill culture [ ]

Template:In-universe It was originally assumed that only a small fraction (0.01%) of the Trill population was capable of being joined, a myth that the Trill government continues to perpetuate. This is because the joining of the Dax symbiont with the host Joran (Curzon's predecessor) was a disaster — Joran was insane and a murderer. Joran's joining with Dax was covered up and all records of it were erased. The Trill government attempted to blame the failure on Joran's unsuitability as a host, but the truth was that Joran had passed the host screening tests and was technically a stable host — as was almost half of the Trill humanoid population. The government dares not let this information become public, lest the symbionts become a commodity to be bought, sold and fought over by the public; as long as it is widely believed that only a small fraction can become hosts, the government reasons, then such widespread hysteria can be avoided (" Equilibrium ", DS9 ).

A joined Trill is known by the given name of the host followed by the name of the symbiont: for example, when Ezri Tigan was joined with the symbiont Dax, her name became Ezri Dax .

Trill society has a taboo against resuming relationships with loved ones from one's past joining, on the principle that each life must be unique (" Rejoined ", DS9 ). This taboo apparently does not extend to non-romantic relationships (or perhaps non-Trills), since Jadzia Dax renewed Curzon Dax's friendship with Benjamin Sisko and others without comment, as Ezri Dax renewed Jadzia's friendship with the crew of Deep Space Nine. This taboo also was not yet developed at the time of the TNG episode " The Host ", which featured a romantic relationship between Odan and Dr. Crusher, which Odan wished to continue through several hosts.

Depiction in non-canonical novels [ ]

In the non- canon Deep Space Nine post-finale novels (known as the "relaunch"), it is revealed that the Trill symbionts are related to the evil parasitic species seen in the Next Generation episode " Conspiracy ". The parasites resulted from genetic tampering upon the symbionts to make them resistant to disease. However, when their creations turned evil, the Trill tried to eradicate them, leading to the parasites' vendetta against the symbionts. The appearance of Odan — Trill hosts who have no spots, but ridges on their foreheads — is also explained (in the novel Forged in Fire , by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin ), where a strain of the Klingon Augment virus (the disease responsible for the Human-like appearance of Klingons in the Original Series) managed to infect a Trill colony when it was visited by Klingon traders.

Also in the relaunch novels, it is revealed that after a few hundred years, the symbionts become incapable of any further joinings with humanoids and return to the breeding pools and the massive underground lakes that they lead to. There they can live to be many thousands of years old and of enormous size, whereupon they are referred to as the Annuated. The Trill humanoid population at large do not know this, however.

A later novel sees word getting out that almost half of the Trill population was suitable for joining and the joined Trill who had led the planet's culture and society for hundreds of years were no more special than the others. A subsequent terrorist attack by non-joined Trills using an EMP-like bomb kills many symbionts and joined Trills. The planet's leader then announces a moratorium on new joinings and, as a sign of good faith, has her own symbiont taken out using new technology capable of removing it without killing the host.

Joined Trill characters [ ]

• Lenara Kahn

External links [ ]

• Trill at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki )

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Will jean-luc picard appear in star trek’s next movie.

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Section 31: Everything We Know About Star Trek’s First Streaming Movie

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• Star Trek: Section 31 is set in the "lost era" of the early 24th century, featuring Michelle Yeoh's Emperor Georgiou.
• A young Rachel Garrett, Captain of the Enterprise-C, is confirmed to appear, hinting at a possible young Jean-Luc Picard cameo.
• The film may explore Section 31's role in the Star Trek timeline, potentially shedding light on characters from the past, like young Picard.

Could a young Jean-Luc Picard could appear in Star Trek 's next film, Star Trek: Section 31 ? Introduced in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, Michelle Yeoh's Emperor Philippa Georgiou became one of Star Trek's best new characters. After Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery traveled to the far future in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, Georgiou experienced debilitating flashbacks due to being displaced in both time and dimension. The Guardian of Forever (Paul Guilfoyle) eventually sent Georigou to a period in history "when the Mirror Universe and the Prime Universe were still aligned."

Although the synopsis for Star Trek: Section 31 remains unknown, Paramount+'s first-ever S tar Trek streaming movie has been confirmed to take place in Star Trek's " lost era" of the early 24th century. Section 31 's has been announced, but not who they are playing. Besides Georgiou, the only Section 31 character confirmed to appear is a young Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl). Captain Garrett ( Tricia O'Neil) made her first and only appearance in the iconic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Yesterday's Enterprise." She sacrificed her life and her ship, the USS Enterprise-C, to restore the proper version of the future. Based on what has been revealed about Section 31's place in the Star Trek timeline, it's possible a young Jean-Luc Picard could make an appearance.

Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh headlines Star Trek: Section 31, and here's what we know about Paramount+'s first Star Trek streaming movie.

How Jean-Luc Picard Could Appear In Star Trek’s Next Movie

Throughout star trek's "lost era," picard was attending starfleet academy & serving on the uss stargazer..

Born in 2305, Jean-Luc Picard entered Starfleet Academy in 2323, eventually graduating at the top of his class in 2327. Although it has not been confirmed when exactly in the 24th century Star Trek: Section 31 takes place, it could be set while Picard is serving as a cadet at the Academy. Picard did well academically while at the Academy, which made him brash and cocky. Soon after graduating, Jean-Luc was nearly killed after getting into a bar fight with a group of Nausicaans. Considering Captain Picard has changed and matured by the time of Star Trek: The Next Generation, it would be interesting to see a glimpse of his life as a cadet.

Jean-Luc Picard became Captain of the USS Stargazer in 2333 and commanded that ship for 22 years, before taking over command of the USS Enterprise-D in 2363.

Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation , Captain Picard remained closed off from most of his crew members, only occasionally revealing personal aspects of his past. Jean-Luc was 58 years old when he took over command of the USS Enterprise-D in 2363, meaning a lot of his life remains unexplored on screen. Of course, Michelle Yeoh's Emperor Georgiou is the star of Star Trek: Section 31, so the film will presumably focus on her past, present, and future. Still, it would be fun to see a young Picard pop up, if only for a brief cameo appearance.

When In Star Trek’s Lost Era Section 31 Could Be Set

Star trek's "lost era" spans from the end of star trek vi: the undiscovered country to the beginning of star trek: the next generation..

Rachel Garrett appears to be in her 20s during Section 31 , and she is younger than Picard, despite becoming Captain of the Enterprise before him. By 2344, Garrett is Captain of the Enterprise-C , but her age at that time remains unknown, making exact dates and timelines difficult to pin down. Still, it seems likely Star Trek: Section 31 will take place around the 2320s or a bit later, although time travel and alternate universes could always complicate matters. In only one episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Rachel Garrett made a lasting impression, and it's about time Star Trek revealed more about this fascinating character.

Actress Tricia O'Neil was around the age of 45 while filming "Yesterday's Enterprise," meaning Rachel Garrett's age is likely somewhere around that number.

As Starfleet's top-secret intelligence organization, Section 31 has been depicted in different ways since its introduction in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . While the organization is more widely known in the 2250s of Star Trek: Discovery's early seasons, very few knew about Section 31 by the time of DS9. Star Trek: Section 31 will bridge this gap, while also filling in the backstory of Rachel Garret and perhaps some other legacy characters. Whether or not Emperor Georgiou has a run-in with a young Jean-Luc in Star Trek: Section 31 remains to be seen, but perhaps Cadet Picard will get a shoutout.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

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Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

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Three New Cadets Join STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY’s Cast

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Here’s the full press release from Paramount+:

KERRICE BROOKS, BELLA SHEPARD AND GEORGE HAWKINS JOIN THE PARAMOUNT+ ORIGINAL SERIES STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY   July 9, 2024 – Paramount+ today announced that Kerrice Brooks (My Old Ass), Bella Shepard (Wolf Pack) and George Hawkins (Tell Me Everything) have joined the cast of the original series STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY. The upcoming series will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy. Produced by CBS Studios, the new series will begin production later this summer.   Brooks, Shepard and Hawkins will play cadets, joining previously announced cast members Holly Hunter as the captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy and Paul Giamatti as the season’s villain.   STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY introduces viewers to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.   Brooks, an actress and professional dancer, will make her feature film debut this year in My Old Ass produced by Margot Robbie and directed by Megan Park. She will also star in the 70s coming-of-age comedy, Feeling Randy. Brooks’ credits include The Prom, The Cypher, How We Roll and On My Block. Brooks got her start in the entertainment industry as a professional dancer performing with elite artists including Billie Eilish, Kanye West, Lil’ Nas, Kelly Rowland and more.   Shepard was recently the lead of the Paramount+ Series, Wolf Pack and is best known for her previous Brat Series’ On the Ropes and A Girl Named Jo, and as the lead in the series, Two Sides. Shepard was also seen in The Wilds, Witch Hunt,, and the iCARLY reboot . She also had a lead guest role on the final season of Orange Is the New Black, and recurring roles on Life in Pieces and Grace and Frankie.   Hawkins is best known for playing Dylan in Tell Me Everything. His previous credits include Sean in the BAFTA-nominated film Boiling Point and Adam in the feature film Gassed Up. In 2023, Hawkins graduated from London’s Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

It’s still going to be a while, it seems, until we know more about the new cadets’ characters — and their roles in the  Starfleet Academy story — so stay tuned until Paramount+ has more to share.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is in preproduction now.

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Trill (planet)

• 1 Astronomical data
• 2.1 Geographical features
• 2.2 Points of interest
• 4.1 Appearances
• 4.2 References
• 4.3 Background information
• 4.4 Apocrypha
• 4.5 External links

Astronomical data [ ]

Planetary data for Trill

Trill orbited its sun at a distance of 1.215 AU , with an orbital period of 483 solar days and a Keplerian ratio of 0.967. Its rotation period was 26.6 hours long. The planet had a radius of 6,493 kilometers and a surface area of five hundred million square kilometers . The estimated age of the planet was 4.682 billion years. Its mass was estimated to be 5.872 e24 ×10 24 kilograms , giving it a surface gravity of 0.98 g .

The atmosphere of Trill was composed of 76% molecular nitrogen , 21% molecular oxygen , 0.8% argon , 0.5% water vapor , and 0.3% carbon dioxide , with trace amounts of methane . The surface had an atmospheric pressure of 1.012 bar and a mean temperature of 297 Kelvin . ( DIS : " Jinaal ")

Environment [ ]

Forest near the Caves of Mak'ala (3189)

Natural features on Trill included forests , lakes , canyons , and caves . Trill's oceans had a purple tint when viewed from space . ( DS9 : " Past Tense, Part I ", " Equilibrium "; DIS : " Forget Me Not ", " Jinaal ")

Lifeforms native to Trill included the itronok and the ina raptor , as well as birds and flying fish ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ", " Jinaal ")

Geographical features [ ]

• Caves of Mak'ala
• Tenaran Ice Cliffs

Points of interest [ ]

• Hoobishan Baths
• Symbiosis Commission
• Trill Science Ministry
• Trill Polytech

History [ ]

Trill in 2371

The symbionts' ancestral home was in the underground caves , including the Caves of Mak'ala . The Trill had information on joinings as far back as the 12th century . ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ")

In 2367 , the USS Enterprise -D had to contact the Trill homeworld to send a replacement host for an injured ambassador , Odan . ( TNG : " The Host ")

In 2371 , the USS Defiant traveled to Trill when Jadzia Dax 's life was endangered by suppressed memories of her previous host , Joran Belar . ( DS9 : " Equilibrium ")

In 2375 , the USS Destiny was en route to Trill with the Dax symbiont , which had been injured, when the symbiont took a turn for the worse. As a result, it had to be joined with Ezri Tigan , the only Trill on the Destiny . ( DS9 : " Shadows and Symbols ")

Jack Crusher , under his alias "John Carson", was charged with disorderly intoxication on Trill in the late 24th century . ( PIC : " Disengage ")

Advertisement for a beach on Trill

In 2402 , Deanna Troi and William T. Riker considered taking a beach vacation on Trill. ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

In 3069 , The Burn decimated the Trill population , resulting in the planet becoming more insular in an attempt to stave off extinction . Despite this, a century later there were still not enough viable hosts for the remaining symbionts. Trill was among the Federation members that chose to secede during this period.

It is unclear when Trill first became a member of the Federation; its status in the 24th century is ambiguous.

In 3189 , the time-displaced USS Discovery traveled to Trill to help Adira Tal access the Tal symbiont 's memories. ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ") After the defeat of Emerald Chain , Trill rejoined the United Federation of Planets. ( DIS : " That Hope Is You, Part 2 ")

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• DS9 : " Equilibrium "
• DIS : " Forget Me Not "
• DIS : " Jinaal "

References [ ]

• " Invasive Procedures "
• " Past Tense, Part I "
• " The Way of the Warrior "
• " Rejoined "
• " Tears of the Prophets "
• " Shadows and Symbols "
• " Disengage " ( On PADD )
• " The Last Generation " ( On PADD )

Background information [ ]

In the series bible for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , it was said that the underground of Trill and the planet's surface were where the Trill symbionts and humanoids lived, respectively. It was also stated that "an environmental disaster" led the two species to begin integrating with each other. [1]

As there were two make-up configurations designed for the Trill, Jadzia Dax actress Terry Farrell once suggested that "the north of Trill" was the birthplace of the simpler-looking Trill whereas the planet's south was where the more elaborate physical design, involving spots, originated. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 21) While filming DS9 Season 1 finale " In the Hands of the Prophets ", Farrell also expressed hopes of seeing Trill in the second season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , saying, " I'd like to go to the planet where I'm from. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 24, Nos. 3/4, p. 98.)

The name of the Trill homeworld was first established as "Trill" in the second season outing " Invasive Procedures ". The planet makes its first appearance in the third season episode " Equilibrium ". Portraying the planet in that episode proved highly expensive. Some of the Trill exteriors shown in "Equilibrium" were filmed on location in Huntington Gardens . " I think there were a lot of interesting things about the Trill homeworld that you found out in the episode, " commented René Echevarria , who wrote "Equilibrium"'s script. ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , pp. 84 & 85.)

For the Star Trek: Discovery episode " Forget Me Not ", the exterior shots for Trill were filmed at the Royal Botanical Gardens rock garden in Hamilton , Ontario , Canada . The building, a visitor center for the garden, was designed by CS&P Architects. [2]

Star Trek: Star Charts (p. 33) and the Star Trek Encyclopedia , 4th ed., vol. 2, p. 421 identified the Trill homeworld as Trillius Prime and that it was governed by the Trill Symbiosis, admitted into the Federation in 2285 . As of 2370 , the planet was populated by 650 million Trill and 11 million symbionts, though the existence of symbionts was not widely known prior to 2367 .

Apocrypha [ ]

Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume Two focuses on Trill and Bajor.

The Star Trek: Federation Travel Guide calls out local attractions including the Teneran Ice Cliffs (3/3 stars) in the southern hemisphere and the caves of Mak'ala (2/3 stars.) "The Interplanetary Bar and Grill" serving foods from hundreds of worlds is highlighted, noting "local cuisine failed to tempt our reviewers palate." The Selipsis is identified as Trill's largest and oldest beach resort. "Grow old in wisdom" is noted as a local key phrase to know.

Trill is depicted in several of the short stories in the novel anthology The Lives of Dax , the novel Revenant and the novella Unjoined .

External links [ ]

• Trill (planet) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Re-Used Planets in DS9  at Ex Astris Scientia
• 1 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 2 Star Trek: Prodigy
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

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• Big on the Internet
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The Problem With the Trill Is the Problem With Star Trek

Star Trek has a wild array of alien species, from the logical Vulcans to the hungry Tribble. One of the newer favorites is the Trill, a race of symbiotic, scientific people who bond with slug-like symbionts to pass memories and lives across generations. Fans first met them in The Next Generation  with Ambassador Odan, Beverly’s handsome boyfriend. However, things went sideways when his host body died and his symbiont was passed along to a new, female host.

Fans learned more about the Trill with characters like Jadzia and Ezri Dax, cementing the Trill as a dynamic and fan favorite species.

Part of what makes the species so fascinating is their intriguing culture. After all, not every Trill gets “joined” with a symbiont. It’s a unique part of their society that helps not only protect memories and people, but also chronicles events in history. The Trill use their symbiosis to bolster their skills and advance their technology. It makes sense that the symbionts became an elite, revered part of their culture.

However, this same reverence causes some serious elitism.

Since the symbiont is so precious to Trill culture, the Trill have turned the process of joining into a deep vetting system where they only pick the most skilled and dedicated Trill that can best represent their species. Sounds like a good call, right?

Except it does ignore the perfectly fit people who don’t have the time or money to go through training. Instead, they are ignored and left behind for the shiny, privileged sect of Trill society. There’s a reason that Dax’s suppressed time with Joran is so taboo. It not only exposes the fact that the Trill hierarchy covets the symbionts for the elite, but many more people can bond with the symbionts than they admit.

This is the same problem with the most idealistic version of Star Trek . The Federation and Starfleet insist that they’re based on meritocracy—that the best, most skilled and capable people are the ones at the top. However, with a little more digging, it’s just the more privileged and socially supported that are being shoved to the top over and over. It’s obvious that the people who had the least conflict with other species, had support from the Federation, etc. would rise to the top.

Take, for example, Bajor. They are a complex and rich culture of people, but they were occupied by Cardassia for decades. Of course they wouldn’t be shining examples of the idealized Federation culture if their resources were stolen, their infrastructure decimated, and their people oppressed. And they aren’t going to become Starfleet’s dream people overnight just because they were “liberated.”

They were forced to cope in a harsh situation, and the way they have reacted to that is hardly any failing on their part—but that doesn’t matter to the Federation. Just like the Trill prioritize their own idealized elite, the Federation prioritizes “peaceful” races like the Vulcans, humans, and Betazoids over Bajorans, regardless of how key they are when the Deep Space Nine wormhole appears.

Now, there is a bit of a distinction here, as priority support and respect are a bit different than living beings like the symbionts. It makes sense that they themselves would want to pair with suitable hosts. But the problem is more insidious than just siphoning the symbionts to the elite.

The problem is that the concept of Trill joinings became so coveted and elite that many people started striving for it, even people who didn’t actually want to be joined.

It’s much like the American Dream, where people strive for a stable job, a spouse, 1.5 kids, and a picket fence—this idea that they can have comfort and perfection in this one specific way, and that way only. The Trill dream is to be joined.

Well, the problem is that not that many people can be joined in the first place. And it isn’t just some tool for immortalization; it’s also giving up a portion of your own mind, your own individuality, to welcome in all these lives before yours. Not everyone should want that, nor needs to, but Trill society props it up as the best dream one can have, and it’s taken a toll on its people.

Look at Trill like Verad or Arjin. This first one, Verad, was a man incapable of passing the tests, who felt so desperate for a symbiont, like it was the only way to be a complete person, that he took a station hostage, nearly killed Jadzia, and lost his own life for a taste of the joining. On the flip side, Arjin felt compelled to apply for the joining because he was a smart young man who came from a good family that always wanted a better future for him, but he was meek and shy, the kind of person who might lose themselves in the process of joining. And he didn’t even know if he wanted it for himself or just because it was “what people did.” He deserved to forge his own path, not be pushed towards symbiosis.

Just like the Federation, Starfleet, and even our own society, Trill culture is bogged down by expectations, pressure, and elitism that hurts a society more than it helps. While this kind of idealization can motivate people at first, as a comforting dream, the disappointing slog in competing for it eventually disillusions them from their own culture and can cause massive upheavals.

So, by the time Discovery season 3 rolls around, who knows what Trill looks like? After all, in Deep Space 9 , they seem on the cusp of some major, growing civil unrest. The Trill that Michael and the others find might look nothing like the Trill we left behind, and that could be because of a revolution or a complete culture breakdown—perhaps even complete disillusioned anarchy.

All elitist cultures are at risk of crumbling under the weight of the people they push aside. Even Jean-Luc Picard, an idealist among idealists, was disillusioned from his beloved Starfleet because they prioritized the tragedy on Mars over all of Romulus.

Just like people say nowadays, Discovery’ s season 3 future Trill might have gotten fed up with their elite and “ate the rich.” Hopefully they didn’t eat the slugs, though.

(image: CBS)

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'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Has Found Its First Cadets

• Star Trek: Starfleet Academy adds Kerrice Brooks, Bella Shepard, and George Hawkins as cadets.
• Set in the distant future, the series aims for a young adult audience and will follow young cadets as they train at the Academy.
• Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti are also set to star, with filming to begin this summer.

We finally have our first batch of cadets for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy . Paramount has just announced the addition of Kerrice Brooks , Bella Shepard , and George Hawkins , to the star-studded cast of the upcoming spin-off series. While no details have been revealed about each of their individual characters, we do know that Brooks, Shepard, and Hawkins will all be playing cadets. Set in the distant future established by Star Trek: Discovery , Starfleet Academy will be the franchise 's first YA-aimed series, fitting a niche between the family-friendly offerings of Prodigy and the adult-centered shows like Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds .

Starfleet Academy 's official logline reads:

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy introduces viewers to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself."

Alongside Brooks, Shepard, and Hawkins, the cast of Starfleet Academy is shaping up to be quite impressive. Oscar winner Holly Hunter will be playing the captain and chancellor of the academy, and Emmy winner Paul Giamatti has been cast as the season's villain. Behind the scenes, Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Gaia Violo , Aaron Baiers , Olatunde Osunsanmi , Jenny Lume t, Rod Roddenberry , Trevor Roth , Frank Siracusa, and John Weber will also serve as executive producers for the series. Violo also penned the first episode of the series. We also know that Lower Decks star Tawny Newsome has joined the writers room , promising a delightful dose of humor for the series.

Where Have You Seen 'Starfleet Academy's New Recruits?

Each of Starfleet Academy 's new recruits is a bright, up-and-coming star, though they've wasted no time in getting a few very impressive credits to their name before joining the series. Brooks is an actress and a professional dancer who is set to make her feature film debut later this year in My Old Ass and the 70s comedy Feeling Randy . You may have seen her before in The Prom , On My Block , or How We Roll . Meanwhile, Shepard is best known as the lead in Paramount's Wolf Pack series where she starred alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar . You may have also spotted her in The Wilds , Grace & Frankie , and the new iCarly reboot series. Finally, Hawkins is known for his role in Tell Me Everything and previously starred in Boiling Point and Gassed Up .

Starfleet Academy does not yet have a release date but is set to begin filming this summer . Stay tuned at Collider for further updates and stream your favorite Star Trek shows on Paramount+ and Netflix.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Centers on students at Starfleet Academy.

Release Date 2025-00-00

Main Genre Sci-Fi

Genres Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure

Creator(s) Noga Landau, Alex Kurtzman

Watch on Paramount+

Star Trek Is About to Boldly Go Where It’s Never Gone Before: Netflix

For Trekkies old and new, the highly anticipated Prodigy Season 2 will be worth the wait.

Dan and Kevin Hageman seem relieved.

It makes sense. The brother duo behind the first Lego Movie and Trollhunters scored a big win back in 2021 when their Star Trek series Prodigy got picked up by Paramount+ and Nickelodeon. But despite signing a two-season deal, Star Trek: Prodigy was quietly canceled after Season 1 — until Netflix swooped in. Now, we’re just days away from the Season 2 premiere , so it’s no surprise that the look on the Hageman Brothers’ faces reads as a mix of glee and exhaustion.

“We’re very excited to be able to tell this story,” Kevin Hageman tells Inverse .

Over Zoom, the Hageman Brothers seem less like siblings and more like two friends who’ve been playing Dungeons & Dragons with each other for decades. Kevin clearly wants to be the DM, while Dan is the guy who wants the quest to get bonkers. When it comes to crafting epic, animated projects, this geeky dynamic clearly gets he job done. But now, it’s up to the algorithmic streaming gods to decide Prodigy’s fate.

“I think it really all rests on the success of the Netflix platform,” Kevin says.

Star Trek: Prodigy began as a newcomer’s introduction to the massive canon of Star Trek, but Season 2 hits the ground at proto-warp speed with most of the main cast — Dal (Brett Gray), Jankom (Jason Mantzoukas), Rok (Rylee Alazraqui), Murf (Dee Bradley Baker), Zero (Angus Imrie), and Gwyn (Ella Purnell) — all, more or less, assigned to Starfleet duties. However, any cozy status quo is quickly up-ended by even more time-travel shenanigans than in the first season. It’s a big, surprising season-long arc, but the Hagemans were determined to sneak in some classic Star Trek standalone stories, too.

Dan Hageman hopes that’s enough to win over not just Netflix’s massive audience but the hardcore Trekkies. He says he’ll know Season 2 was a success “if it really sticks in the grill of the Star Trek fandom.”

So ahead of this historic drop — the first time that 20 new Star Trek episodes will be available all at once — Inverse caught up with the Hageman Brothers to talk about the flavor of Prodigy Season 2, balancing episodic adventures with an epic serialized arc, how the show fits into Star Trek canon, and their hopes for the future.

Star Trek’s Greatest Hits

Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) is back in Prodigy Season 2. But it’s not only Voyager references this season.

“Going into Season 2, we wanted to continue with that idea of what are the greatest hits [of Star Trek]?” Kevin says. “What are concepts and episode ideas that we can introduce to new fans that make up that Star Trek DNA? But we also we found ourselves it is a little more serialized, so the challenge was how to do that and also wrap up a lot of these bigger stories.”

In addition to introducing a new regular Vulcan character named Ma’jel (Michaela Dietz) — who is clearly inspired by Majel Barrett Roddenberry, the late “ First Lady of Star Trek” — Prodigy Season 2 has a slew of Trekkie greatest-hits moments. Without getting into any big-time spoilers, these include parallel universes, some classic aliens for The Original Series , a big shout-out to the 1986 film The Voyage Home , at least one doppelgänger dilemma, and a lot of time travel.

But in addition to creating a diversity of very different stories and completing a bigger arc, Prodigy Season 2 is also a kind of Rosetta Stone for a certain point in the Star Trek timeline. Because Season 2 takes place mostly in 2384, aspects of Lower Decks and Picard canon are fully addressed and integrated. ( Lower Decks occurs between 2380 and 2383, while the earliest Picard Season 1 flashbacks happen in 2385. But the way Starfleet feels in the early days of Picard’s 2380s has seemed a bit incongruous with Lower Decks and Prodigy. In Prodigy Season 2, there’s a very deliberate fix for that.)

“We always wanted Prodigy to embrace the whole canon of Star Trek.”

It’s also worth noting that while Admiral Janeway didn’t appear in Picard Season 3, Prodigy Season 2 elucidates her post- Voyager role a little more clearly. In fact, because Prodigy Season 2 includes recurring roles from Voyager regulars The Doctor (Robert Picardo) and Chakotay (Robert Beltran), it’s tempting to think of the series as a follow-up to that version of Trek, rather than a midquel between Lower Decks and Picard . But for the showrunners, Prodigy’s canonical scope is bigger than either of those options.

“Everyone would say, oh, it’s like a Voyager spinoff, and we were like, no, we’re not a Voyager spinoff,” Dan says. “We are Voyager- adjacent just because Janeway is one of our leads. But we always wanted Prodigy to embrace the whole canon of Star Trek. The things that pop up are things that happen in that timeline.”

Major Trek Twists

Kevin Hageman and Dan Hageman (center), with some of the Prodigy cast including Angus Imrie, Kate Mulgrew, Ella Purnell, and director Ben Hibon in 2022.

The specifics of these events from elsewhere in the Star Trek pantheon range from minor Easter eggs to major events. And some twists and details have been planned since 2021, well before Picard Season 2 or Season 3 aired. The Hagemans reveal that, three years ago, with multiple Trek projects in production, they were in contact with other Star Trek showrunners to make sure Prodigy not only lined up with the rest of canon but also expanded upon a few specific plot points.

“We were all talking and sharing what we were planning and making sure we were all in sync,” Kevin says. “So there was some collaboration.”

By the final episode of Prodigy Season 2, several aspects of Star Trek are fully connected, but there’s also an open-ended notion that the series could continue in some way, shape, or form. But will there be a Prodigy Season 3? The Hageman brothers offer a surprising response.

“Just a lot of dreaming on Season 3,” Kevin says. “Maybe it’s something that happens down the line. I could see something happening in 10 years. Maybe sooner.”

“Maybe there’s a live-action version of it,” Dan adds. “We’re hoping.”

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 hits Netflix on July 1.

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Published Aug 3, 2011

The Trill of It All –Terry Farrell Interview, Part 2

Terry Farrell spoke yesterday about her frenzied first few weeks on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and how, over time, she developed the character, with the Trill taking on several of her own attributes. Today, in the second half of our interview, Farrell discusses her decision to depart DS9 after the sixth season, fills us in on what her life is like now, and shares her excitement about the upcoming 45th anniversary festivities at Creation’s Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas .

A lot of fans were surprised that you didn’t return as Dax in some way, shape or form in the final season of DS9. How about you?

Farrell: Yes. Yes. I did not want to die. I would have been so happy if they just would have let me be a recurring (character) the final season, so I didn’t have to be in every episode. I was just really tired. I was tired of waking up at four in the morning. I was tired of all the minutiae. I’m sure a lot of the other actors feel this way, too. When you’re number five (on the call sheet), you’re waiting for that schedule to arrive and it becomes frustrating. You want to feel like you have your life again, and I’d definitely put my life on hold because I didn’t know how to balance a schedule constantly changing all the time. It was really hard for me.

After you left, did you watch DS9 at all?

Farrell: No. No, I didn’t. I didn’t because the person replacing me, I didn’t want to not like them or be jealous, because I knew I would be. I loved Dax. I didn’t not love playing the character. I didn’t not love the show. I didn’t not love the people. Just the routine of it all, I needed a break. I personally just needed a mental break and, unfortunately, I wasn’t mature enough to maybe present it in the way of saying, “Could I please be a recurring character?” I’m sure at that point, too, for Rick Berman and those people, it was all or nothing. They were angry because I wasn’t doing what they wanted me to do or expected me to do. So it was an unfortunate situation all the way around.

Are you at the stage now, though, where you can sit down with your son Max and watch episodes of the show?

Farrell: Yes. Well, see, now the hard thing is I’ll be watching a show where I’m with Worf ( Michael Dorn ) and I’ll be like, “Huuuuuuugghhhh! Do I kiss Michael in this episode? Do I kiss someone else?” My character wasn’t predictable enough for me to go, “Yeah, that’ll be an easy episode to get through with my seven-year-old!” But he has seen “Trials and Tribble-ations.” So that’s the one episode he’s seen so far. But he has my action figure. Dax plays with everyone – Sonic and Buzz Lightyear. Dax is always by their side, which is pretty cool.

What are you doing these days?

Farrell: I’m a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance. I have my 200 hours in and I teach at our local rec center. It’s twice a week and I have a nice little class. I started to garden again this year. And, of course, I’m a mom and a wife. That’s what I do.

Would you say that you’re officially retired from acting and, if so, why?

Farrell: Well, I guess I am officially retired from acting and I’d say that’s because my focus is on my family. I waited so long to put this family together. I came from a home where my mother had been married and divorced a couple of times and it was a really scary thing for me to commit. It took a long time for me to realize that I was the problem, that I was the runaway bride. When I finally met the right guy my life suddenly became very real, and I didn’t want to lose any of those amazing things I’d just gotten: the right guy, somebody who wanted to have a family with me. So, after living in Los Angeles for 21 years, I thought we’d probably have a better shot at having a healthy and strong marriage if we weren’t doing what we were doing, which was essentially waiting for whatever job to come along and letting your life sort of unfold like you’re gypsies. I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t want to do that to a marriage and I certainly didn’t want to bring a child into the world in that situation. That’s for me. That’s me. It’s too much for me to do everything. And I wanted to raise my son myself. I didn’t want to have to have a nanny. There are days now when I wish I’d had one, but I didn’t. Max still loves me, so it’s all good.

You still make the occasional Star Trek convention appearance, and you’ll be up there on the stage at Creation’s 45th Anniversary show next week. What do you still enjoy about doing the shows?

Farrell: Oh my gosh, I’m more relaxed than I’ve ever been. When I was doing them while doing the show I was always stressed out about time and learning lines and being sleep-deprived and lonely because I was single, and all those crazy things that happen when you’re single. Plus, I was usually racing back to L.A. to do the show. Now I can just enjoy it more. I’m still going back to my life, but I’m not rushing back. It’s not like I have a deadline or someone yelling at me about possibly missing a flight and being late (for work). I always felt like I was constantly trying to ride this precarious edge. And I just didn’t have the energy to do all of it. Now I can bring my family with me. Mommy can go to work and I feel like I don’t have to worry about anything. I can say hi to everyone and they enjoy the conventions, and I do, too. And at night I get to go hang out with my husband and son, my mom and dad, and it just feels more like life should be.

Who from the old Trek days are you still in touch with?

Farrell: I try, but it’s hard for me because I live so far away from everybody. I used to see Marina (Sirtis) all the time. Armin Shimerman’s wife, Kitty, and I would always talk about going for a run, and then we’d wind up going to breakfast instead. And I’d see Brent (Spiner) and Michael Dorn. But now I really don’t see them because I live so far away, which is another reason why I enjoy it when I do a convention. I get to see some of my friends. And I did get in touch with Whoopi (Goldberg) because of the No H8 Campaign. I got my picture taken for No H8, which supports the right to marry who you love. Whoopi and I were going to try to do a picture together. It didn’t work out, but it was great because it put me back in touch with her. I’d actually never worked with her on Star Trek , but we were connected through Hollywood Squares . I was on Becker (with Goldberg’s then-boyfriend, Ted Danson), which was on CBS, and Hollywood Squares was CBS, so it was fun to meet her like that.

To read part one of our interview with Terry Farrell, click HERE .

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