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Netflix greenlights docuseries on john o’keefe’s killing & karen read murder trial, joanne linville dies: ‘star trek’ romulan commander & ‘twilight zone’ actress with scores of screen credits was 93.

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Joanne Linville dead Star Trek Romulan commander

Joanne Linville , who played the Romulan commander in a memorable 1968 Star Trek   episode and had scores of other screen credits, died Sunday. She was 93. CAA made the announcement but did not disclose a cause of death.

Linville began racking up TV guest roles in the mid-1950s, appearing on such series of the era as Studio One, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Kraft Theatre  and  Playhouse 90.  She continued to guest on drama series throughout the ’60s, including such classics as  Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The F.B.I., Route 66, Ben Casey, I Spy  and a two-part  Hawaii Five-0.

Of her work in that era, she might be most recognizable as Lavinia Gordon, the owner of a ruined Southern mansion in the Civil War-themed 1961 Twilight Zone  episode titled “The Passersby,” which also starred James Gregory.

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But despite her prolific active career from the mid-’50s to the late-’80s, and included a few latter-day roles, Linville is best remembered for her role in a 1968 episode of the original Star Trek. “The Enterprise Incident”   is one of the few times Leonard Nimoy’s Spock character Spock romanced a woman. Linville played a powerful Romulan commander who is drawn to and ultimately seduced by the Vulcan’s charms. She discovers too late that Spock’s attentions are a ruse so that Captain Kirk can steal the fabled Romulan cloaking device, which renders ships invisible.

Linville continued to work steadily in TV throughout the 1970s and ’80s. While never a series regular, she appeared on some of those decades’ most popular shows:  Columbo, Kojak, Charlie’s Angels, CHiPs, Dynasty and L.A. Law.

Born Beverly Joanne Linville on January 15, 1928, in Bakersfield, CA, she grew up in Venice, CA. The actress also had some film roles during her long career including A Star Is Born (1976), Scorpio (1973) and  The Seduction  (1982).

During the 1980s, she and her teacher Stella Adler started an acting conservancy under the latter’s name, and Linville also authored the 2011 book Seven Steps to an Acting Craft.

Linville was married to  On Golden Pond director Mark Rydell from 1962-73 and was the great-grandmother of actress Billie Lourd and Austen Rydell’s son, Kingston. Along with the four of them, she is survived by her children Christopher and Amy, and grandchildren Ruby and Ginger.

Tom Tapp contributed to this report.

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Joanne Linville, Who Played a Romulan Commander in ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 93

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Joanne Linville at arrivals for The Hollywood Show, Westin LAX, Los Angeles, CA April 28, 2018. Photo By: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection

Joanne Linville , who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in “ Star Trek ,” died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to Variety . She was 93.

Born in Bakersfield, Calif. as Beverly Joanne Linville, she was the first female actor to play a Romulan in the “Star Trek” franchise. Linville was a fixture on television from the 1950s to the ’80s, appearing in over 100 film and TV shows, including anthology series such as “Studio One,” “Kraft Theatre” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”

While she never held a regular recurring role on TV, Linville guest-starred on numerous shows, including Westerns, dramas and detective series. Linville starred in six episodes of “Studio One” and three episodes of “Gunsmoke.” Throughout her career, which spanned over six decades, she also appeared in “Hawaii Five-O,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Naked City,” “Adventures in Paradise” and “One Step Beyond.”

In 1961, Linville guest starred in an episode of “The Twilight Zone,” and in 1976, she played a supporting role in Barbra Streisand’s “A Star Is Born.”

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Linville married director Mark Rydell in 1962 and had two children, Amy and Christopher Rydell, who are also actors. In the 1980s, Linville started an acting conservatory with her teacher Stella Adler and wrote a book titled “Seven Steps to an Acting Craft.”

According to the press release announcing her death, “Linville lived a full life. One whose spirit, passion for art and life was an inspiration to all who had the pleasure of knowing her.”

Along with ex-husband Rydell and children Amy and Christopher, Linville is also survived by her grandchildren, Austen, Ruby and Ginger, and great-grandson Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell.

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Joanne Linville: First woman to play a Romulan commander in Star Trek

After stealing spock’s heart in the 1960s series, the prolific performer went on to have many roles on the small screen, article bookmarked.

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The actor went on to open an acting school and write a tutorial book

Joanne Linville, who has died aged 93, was an American actor who created a place for herself in the hearts of sci-fi fans by playing the commander of a Romulan vessel and bringing romance into the life of Leonard Nimoy’s usually emotionally detached Spock in Star Trek .

She was the first female Romulan – humanoid cousins of Vulcans – in the series and appears to stir up trouble between Spock, the USS Enterprise’s half-Vulcan first officer, and his captain, James T Kirk (William Shatner), after their starship vessel strays into Romulan space in a 1968 episode “The Enterprise Incident”.

Linville’s character, who has pointy ears like Spock’s, tries to entice him into siding with his Romulan cousins by using flattery, insisting that 18 years of service with Starfleet entitles him to captain his own ship – and she wants him to command the Enterprise, taking it back with her to Romulus.

But, as she goes to change out of her uniform, promising to “transform into a woman” and spend some time in her chamber with him, it emerges that Spock and Kirk are acting under orders from the Federation – an alliance of planetary governments – to steal a Romulan cloaking device.

Jean Bayless: First actor to play The Sound of Music’s Maria in West End

This betrayal presented Linville with the chance to slap Nimoy across the face before ordering his execution – only for him to be beamed back aboard the Enterprise while holding on to her. Their eventual parting comes with an acknowledgement that they have shared something that will remain their secret.

Having made an impression on viewers, Lanville was later asked to reprise her role in a 1993 episode of the TV sequel Star Trek: The Next Generation , but she was unavailable to appear.

Beverly Joanne Linville was born in Bakersfield, California, in 1928 to Mary (nee Lee) and Joe Linville, who worked in the oil industry, and was raised in Venice, California.

Linville with Leonard Nimoy

After moving to Long Beach and attending high school there, she worked as an oral surgeon’s assistant. She then sought to fulfil her acting ambitions by moving to New York and training with Stella Adler, who taught the “method” technique at her Theatre Studio.

To pay her way through drama school, Linville took work as a dancer, which she appeared as in the 1950 film Copper Canyon , starring Ray Milland and Hedy Lamarr.

Her training as an actor coincided with the heyday of live television and she found herself in demand for plays featured in the burgeoning anthology series.

“Those days were gruelling,” Linville recalled. “They were exciting, demanding and often hysterical, but there’s nothing to equal them.”

Linville as a Romulan commander in ‘The Enterprise Incident’

Among her noted roles were the title character “Gwyneth”, a soprano singer who is the obsession of two brothers in a Welsh mining community, in an episode of US series The Kaiser Aluminium Hour in 1956 (her first of several pre- Star Trek appearances alongside William Shatner) and a widowed Southern belle plotting her revenge against the Union soldier who killed her husband in the American Civil War in the Twilight Zone story “The Passersby” (1961).

There were also character parts in episodes of popular series such as Dr Kildare (in 1962), The Fugitive and Bonanza (both in 1966) before Linville appeared in Star Trek .

She continued as a prolific guest performer on American television and had occasional film roles, such as the gunned-down wife of Burt Lancaster’s CIA operative in the 1973 action thriller Scorpio , the cheated-on second wife of Clark Gable (played by James Brolin) in Gable and Lombard (1976) and the agent of Kris Kristofferson’s self-destructive rock star in A Star Is Born (1976).

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In 1985, she teamed up with Irene Gilbert to open the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting (later renamed the Stella Adler Academy of Acting), a Los Angeles base to teach her mentor’s acting techniques. Its successful students included Salma Hayek and Mark Ruffalo.

She also wrote a book, Joanne Linville’s Seven Steps to an Acting Craft , in 2011.

Linville’s 1962 marriage to Mark Rydell, an actor who turned to producing and directing, ended in divorce 11 years later. She is survived by their children, Christopher, who played an alien astronaut in a 2002 episode of Star Trek: Enterprise , and Amy, who followed in her mother’s footsteps by taking the role of a Romulan commander, this time in an episode of the Star Trek Continues web series.

Joanne Linville, actor, born 15 January 1928, died 20 June 2021

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Joanne Linville, Romulan Commander who romanced Spock on Star Trek, dies at 93

Joanne Linville and Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek

Credit: CBS via Getty Images

Joanne Linville, an actor whose career included a pair of memorable appearances in early sci-fi TV classics, has passed away at the age of 93, via Deadline . In addition to playing the central character in a haunting episode of The Twilight Zone , Linville also carved out a place in  Star Trek history by appearing in the original TV series’ third season as a Romulan commander who falls romantically for Spock.

Avid Trekkies remember Linville onscreen as the commander of a Romulan ship in “The Enterprise Incident,” a 1968 Star Trek episode that showed off an amorous (albeit deceptive) side for the typically stoic Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Unaware that her vessel is the target of an elaborate Federation plot to steal a Romulan cloaking device, Linville’s Romulan commander warms to Spock after taking members of the Enterprise crew aboard for violating Romulan space.

While technically a captive, Spock ends up in the commander’s quarters, where he embarks on a short romantic con with Linville’s character in order to create a distraction while her guard is down. Appearing to soften his emotionless Vulcan demeanor as the commander steers their one-on-one conversation into ever-more-personal territory, Spock lets her believe he’s romantically interested — all while waiting for the right moment to relay the cloaking device’s location aboard the Romulan ship back to the Enterprise .

Linville’s earlier role in “ The Passerby ,” a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone , was even more key to the story, embodying a ghostly tale of coming to terms with the past. Linville played widowed Civil War southern belle Lavinia Godwin, who takes in a wounded Confederate soldier (James Gregory) only to discover he shares some uncanny traits with her own deceased husband. In a supernatural twist worthy of The Others , Linville’s character eventually goes on to encounter not only her husband, but even a deceased Abraham Lincoln — all to realize that she and everyone around her has already passed into the afterlife.

In addition to a supporting part in a 1958 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents , much of Linville’s small-screen career involved frequent guest appearances on popular network series — including Columbo , Charlie’s Angels , Hawaii Five-O , CHiPs , Dynasty , and L.A. Law — through the early 1980s. Less frequently, she appeared in feature films throughout her career, beginning with The Goddess in 1958 and ending with James Dean in 2001.

A protégé of actor Stella Adler, Linville and fellow actor Irene Gilbert co-founded the prestigious Stella Adler Academy and Theatre in Los Angeles in 1985. A Golden State native, Linville was born Beverly Joanne Linville in Bakersfield, California in 1928.

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Joanne Linville, who played a Romulan commander in 'Star Trek,' dies at 93

JOANNE LINVILLE

Joanne Linville, who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in “Star Trek,” died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to Variety. She was 93.

Born in Bakersfield, Calif. as Beverly Joanne Linville, she was the first female actor to play a Romulan in the “Star Trek” franchise. Linville was a fixture on television from the 1950s to the ’80s, appearing in over 100 film and TV shows, including anthology series such as “Studio One,” “Kraft Theatre” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”

Star Trek

While she never held a regular recurring role on TV, Linville guest-starred on numerous shows, including Westerns, dramas and detective series. Linville starred in six episodes of “Studio One” and three episodes of “Gunsmoke.” Throughout her career, which spanned over six decades, she also appeared in “Hawaii Five-O,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Naked City,” “Adventures in Paradise” and “One Step Beyond.”

In 1961, Linville guest-starred in an episode of “The Twilight Zone,” and in 1976, she played a supporting role in Barbra Streisand’s “A Star Is Born.”

Linville married director Mark Rydell in 1962 and had two children, Amy and Christopher Rydell, who are also actors. In the 1980s, Linville started an acting conservatory with her teacher Stella Adler and wrote a book titled “Seven Steps to an Acting Craft.”

According to the press release announcing her death, “Linville lived a full life. One whose spirit, passion for art and life was an inspiration to all who had the pleasure of knowing her.”

Along with ex-husband Rydell and children Amy and Christopher, Linville is also survived by her grandchildren, Austen, Ruby and Ginger, and great-grandson Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell.

This story first appeared on Variety.com.

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Joanne Linville, Who Played a Romulan Commander in ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 93

star trek romulan woman commander

Joanne Linville, who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in “Star Trek,” died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to Variety. She was 93.

Born in Bakersfield, Calif. as Beverly Joanne Linville, she was the first female actor to play a Romulan in the “Star Trek” franchise. Linville was a fixture on television from the 1950s to the ’80s, appearing in over 100 film and TV shows, including anthology series such as “Studio One,” “Kraft Theatre” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”

View her page here: https://womenoftrek.com/actresses/profile/joanne-linville/

While she never held a regular recurring role on TV, Linville guest-starred on numerous shows, including Westerns, dramas and detective series. Linville starred in six episodes of “Studio One” and three episodes of “Gunsmoke.” Throughout her career, which spanned over six decades, she also appeared in “Hawaii Five-O,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Naked City,” “Adventures in Paradise” and “One Step Beyond.”

In 1961, Linville guest starred in an episode of “The Twilight Zone,” and in 1976, she played a supporting role in Barbra Streisand’s “A Star Is Born.”

Linville married director Mark Rydell in 1962 and had two children, Amy and Christopher Rydell, who are also actors. In the 1980s, Linville started an acting conservatory with her teacher Stella Adler and wrote a book titled “Seven Steps to an Acting Craft.”

According to the press release announcing her death, “Linville lived a full life. One whose spirit, passion for art and life was an inspiration to all who had the pleasure of knowing her.”

Along with ex-husband Rydell and children Amy and Christopher, Linville is also survived by her grandchildren, Austen, Ruby and Ginger, and great-grandson Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell.

Source: https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/joanne-linville-dead-dies-star-trek-1235001908/

star trek romulan woman commander

Star Trek (TV Series)

The enterprise incident (1968), joanne linville: romulan commander.

  • Photos (22)
  • Quotes (13)

Photos 

William Shatner and Joanne Linville in Star Trek (1966)

Quotes 

Romulan Commander : We were not aware of Vulcans aboard the Enterprise.

Spock : Starfleet is not in the habit of informing Romulans of its ship's personnel.

Romulan Commander : It is unworthy of a Vulcan to resort to subterfuge.

Spock : You're being clever, Commander. That is unworthy of a Romulan.

Romulan Commander : [to Spock]  If you'll give me a moment. The soldier will transform herself... into a woman.

Romulan Commander : Romulan women are not like Vulcan females. We're not dedicated to... pure logic, and the sterility of non-emotion. Our people are warriors. Often savage. But we are also many other pleasant things.

Captain James T. Kirk : What earns Spock your special interest?

Romulan Commander : He is a Vulcan. Our forebears had the same roots and origins. Something you wouldn't understand, Captain. We can appreciate the Vulcans, our distant brothers.

Romulan Commander : It was your choice.

Spock : It was the only choice possible. You would not respect any other.

Spock : It is regrettable that you were made an unwilling passenger. It was not intentional. All the Federation wanted was the cloaking device.

Romulan Commander : The Federation. And what did you want?

Spock : It was my only interest when I boarded your vessel.

Romulan Commander : And that's exactly all you came away with.

Spock : You underestimate yourself, Commander.

Romulan Commander : I neglected to mention. I'll expect you for dinner. We have much to discuss.

Spock : Indeed.

Romulan Commander : Allow me to... to rephrase. Will you join me for dinner?

Spock : I am honored, Commander. Are the guards also invited?

Romulan Commander : There's no force that I can use on a Vulcan that will make him speak. That is a fact. But there are Romulan methods completely effective against Humans, and Human weaknesses.

Spock : You would not resort to them, Commander. They would prove ineffective against the Captain.

Romulan Commander : Then they will leave him dead. Or what might be worse than dead.

[the Romulan commander has accused Kirk of espionage] 

Captain James T. Kirk : We were not spying, Commander.

Romulan Commander : Your language has always been most difficult for me, Captain. Perhaps you have another word for it.

Captain James T. Kirk : Commander, you'll forgive me if I put up a fight.

Romulan Commander : Of course. It's expected.

[Spock has deceived the Romulan commander to help steal the Romulans' cloaking device] 

Romulan Commander : You must be mad.

Spock : I assure you, I am quite sane.

Romulan Commander : Why would you do this to me? What are you that you could do this?

Spock : First Officer of the Enterprise.

[the Romulan commander realizes that Spock has betrayed her and slaps him] 

Spock : [dispassionately]  What is your present form of execution?

Romulan Commander : You are a superior being. Why do you not command?

Spock : I do not desire a ship of my own.

Romulan Commander : Or is it that no one has offered you, a Vulcan, that opportunity?

Spock : Such opportunities are extremely rare.

Romulan Commander : For someone with your capabilities and accomplishments, opportunities are made. And will be. I will see to that, if you'll stop looking on the Federation as the whole universe. It is not, you know.

Spock : That thought has occasionally crossed my mind.

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Joanne Linville, who played a Romulan commander in ‘Star Trek,’ dies at 93

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Joanne Linville , who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in “Star Trek,” died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to Variety. She was 93.

Born in Bakersfield, Calif. as Beverly Joanne Linville, she was the first female actor to play a Romulan in the “Star Trek” franchise. Linville was a fixture on television from the 1950s to the ’80s, appearing in over 100 film and TV shows, including anthology series such as “Studio One,” “Kraft Theatre” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.”

While she never held a regular recurring role on TV, Linville guest-starred on numerous shows, including Westerns, dramas and detective series. Linville starred in six episodes of “Studio One” and three episodes of “Gunsmoke.” Throughout her career, which spanned over six decades, she also appeared in “Hawaii Five-O,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Naked City,” “Adventures in Paradise” and “One Step Beyond.”

In 1961, Linville guest-starred in an episode of “The Twilight Zone,” and in 1976, she played a supporting role in Barbra Streisand’s “A Star Is Born.”

Linville married director Mark Rydell in 1962 and had two children, Amy and Christopher Rydell, who are also actors. In the 1980s, Linville started an acting conservatory with her teacher Stella Adler and wrote a book titled “Seven Steps to an Acting Craft.”

According to the press release announcing her death, “Linville lived a full life. One whose spirit, passion for art and life was an inspiration to all who had the pleasure of knowing her.”

Along with ex-husband Rydell and children Amy and Christopher, Linville is also survived by her grandchildren, Austen, Ruby and Ginger, and great-grandson Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell.

This story first appeared on Variety.com.

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The Romulan Commander (female)

You may be looking for the The Romulan Commander (male) .

star trek romulan woman commander

The Romulan Commander is an unnamed female character in the Star Trek: TOS episode "The Enterprise Incident". She is one of the most intriguing and fannishly-imagined characters in Star Trek and is featured in many fanworks .

Brief Canon Description of the Romulan Commander

We've certainly seen more beautiful women on Star Trek, but our nameless Commander proved more powerful than T'Pring ("Amok Time"), much sexier than Leila ("This Side of Paradise"), and more persistent than Nurse Chapel (in almost all episodes). She not only seduced Spock, but she got him to enjoy it as well. Will we ever forget those passionate scenes in her bedroom? [1]

Fontana's Comments

In 1979, D.C. Fontana gave an interview in which she explained why she'd left "Star Trek" after the second season, citing a change in leadership and laziness and ignorance in script writing (which Fontana called " drek ) and that "I didn't want to work for anybody who didn't even have a working concept of the show.":

The Romulan Incident—"The Enterprise Incident" was heavily rewritten much to my alarm, and I wanted to take my name off it. Gene talked me out of it Well, let's face it, the romantic scene between the Romulan commander and Spock was totally out of context. It was wrong. Any Romulan worth her salt would have instantly suspected Spock because they are related races. That was wrong. Kirk's attitudes were wrong. A simple thing -- the cloaking device was supposed to be a very small thing, about the size of your watch, for instance, and it could be easily hidden, and here's Kirk running around with this thing that looks like a lamp. You know, highly visible. This is stupidity as well as illogical thinking. Visually it was stupid, conceptually it was very bad. There were a lot of things, little things, that were changed, but my biggest objection, my really biggest objection is the scene between Spock and the woman because I really did not believe it. And I did not believe that the Romulan did not suspect Spock of something underhanded, because they are related races. She does know enough about Vulcan and Vulcans to know something's afoot. [2]

Fans Imagine Her Name

One of the earliest speculations on her first name was in December 1968, about five weeks after the show aired in the U.S.: "Just out of curiosity — a good Vulcan trait — what do you think would be a good name for the Romulan Commander in "The Enterprise Incident"? If you have a name for her, send it in and we'll print a list next issue, just for the logical mental exercise of it. (How about Dicifontana ?) [3]

In 1987, a fan asked: "Could someone in fandom, please give our favorite Romulan a real name?" [4]

Some fanon speculations:

  • Rho from Courts of Honor
  • Lexa from Dreadnought Explorations
  • Lareesha in Time Warp
  • Mara Tokan in In a Different Reality #18
  • Dion Charvon in The Enemy of My Enemy eBook [5]

The licensed fiction (novels, comics and games) also used several names for the character over the decades: Liviana Charvanek; Di'on Charvon; Thea; and Nevesa. [6]

Fan Fiction About the Romulan Commander

star trek romulan woman commander

  • The most well-known fan fiction featuring the Romulan Commander is Courts of Honor by Syn Ferguson .
  • L.P. Santos wrote a series of stories, published mostly in More Missions, More Myths , about Subcommander Tal, his wife the Romulan Commander, and their son, Ty, who is actually the biological son of Spock.
  • Time Warp includes " The Cytherean Cycle " by Anne Elizabeth Zeek : another explanation of the the Romulan Romulan Commander from the episode, 'Enterprise Incident,' explores her background and mission.
  • Orion Archives: 2272-2275 The Second Mission includes "Homecoming" by Rick Endres (Spock is reunited with the Romulan Commander from the "The Enterprise Incident" under less than desirable circumstances: a pon farr brought on early by his mental contact with V’ger.)
  • First Time #1 has the story "Lantern in the Dark" by Chris Waken (Kirk and Spock are abducted by the now insane female Romulan commander and forced to have sex with her.)
  • " Whither Thou Goest " by Carolyn Spencer (Kirk is used as bait for the Romulan commander to get Spock to go with her where she has Spock tortured, not knowing of the link that he and Kirk share.)
  • From Abode of Strife #5: "Who But Thine Own Enemy" (Spock and the Romulan Commander must team to defeat a threatening superrace.)
  • " The Enemy of My Enemy " eBook by Glenn E. Smith takes place after the live-action fanfilm episode, " Phase II : Kitumba". When Commander Dion Charvon returns home to a reception unlike anything she ever expected, her younger sister, Sub-Lieutenant D’Vahn Charvon of the Tal’Shiar , is afforded one opportunity to make things right and save her sister’s life. [7]

Fan Art Featuring the Romulan Commander

star trek romulan woman commander

from Farthest Star #2 (1981), artist is Kathy Carlson

Moremissions6-8.jpg

from Fantasies of the Heart ( 1987), artist is Anja Gruber

star trek romulan woman commander

artist is Dotty Barry , from the zine Star Canticle #1

star trek romulan woman commander

inside Berengaria issue #10, from the poetry and art section-- M.S. Murdock

star trek romulan woman commander

Spock and The Romulan Commander, inside page from In a Different Reality , art by Gennie Summers

star trek romulan woman commander

from Kaiidth #1, for Orpheus Syndrome , art by Suzan Lovett

star trek romulan woman commander

inside art for issue #1, Vel Jaeger , the Romulan Commander

star trek romulan woman commander

cover of Courts of Honor , art by Sat Nam Kaur Keahey

star trek romulan woman commander

inside art from In a Different Reality #18, Rick Braunshausen

star trek romulan woman commander

inside art from TREKism at Length #5, Vel Jaeger

star trek romulan woman commander

art by Suzan Lovett for Courts of Honor , printed in Nome #9, see here for more examples

star trek romulan woman commander

from Pastaklan Vesla issue #2, artist is Karen Flanery (photocopy)

star trek romulan woman commander

art by Lana Brown from Beyond Antares #23

star trek romulan woman commander

artist is Nancy Gervais , from Grip #27

star trek romulan woman commander

from Impulse #5, artist is Liz Danforth

star trek romulan woman commander

from T-Negative #12, artist is Anthony Tollin

star trek romulan woman commander

from Nourishment , artist is Kathy Carlson

from The Farthest Star #2, art by Kathy Carlson

star trek romulan woman commander

from More Missions, More Myths #9, Tom Howard

star trek romulan woman commander

Inside art by Gayle F. from Grup #5, probably illustration to her story Beloved Enemy

  • Behind closed doors - Female Romulan commander by Becky2009
  • Trouble ~ The Romulan Commander/ Spock, (Spock/Kirk) by killerwhaleocelot
  • i've been nothing but good to you, Spock by Baxssy
  • Strobelite | Star Trek Femslash by Little Whatsername

Fan Reaction

  • A fan comments on this character in "Courts of Honor": The biggest reason I have to love this book is Ferguson’s fleshing out of the Romulan Commander from "The Enterprise Incident". I worship her, and although I do take issue with some of her actions as dictated by DC Fontana, she's one of my favorite Trek characters. In CoH she is so real, so perfectly imperfect it hurts—in the very best way." [8]
  • "I've always liked Tal and wondered what happened to him and the Romulan Commander. The characterization of Tal was crisp, gentle, and intelligent. I didn't particularly like the subservient role of the Romulan Commander, but this is Tal's story and a good one it is, too." [9]
  • "...an after story following up the events surrounding the Romulan Commander from "The Enterprise Incident." It has quite an interesting plot, namely, the overthrow of the Romulan empire because of internal corruption and other factors and how Lareesha (the Commander) winds up in charge of things by default." [10]
  • ^ from Anti-Matter #2, published in 1968
  • ^ from an interview with Fontana in Enterprise Incidents #7
  • ^ from Plak-Tow #12
  • ^ from Treklink #8
  • ^ Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase II International (Accessed 8 January 2021)
  • ^ Memory Beta
  • ^ sans-pertinence. Big List of ST:TOS book recs , 17 June 2009. (Accessed 30 July 2010)
  • ^ from Datazine #49
  • ^ a review of "The Cytherean Cycle" in Spectrum #33
  • Star Trek TOS Characters

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Everyone forgot star trek: picard’s raffi stalked admiral janeway.

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Star Trek: Picard’s Mars Attack Was Worse Than We Thought

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  • Raffi Muskier's determination led her down a dark path but she was right - the Romulan Zhat Vash orchestrated the Mars attack of 2385.
  • Raffi, once a Starfleet officer, abandoned the organization after being accused of stalking Admiral Janeway.
  • Raffi was proven right in uncovering a Starfleet conspiracy orchestrated by Commodore Oh and the Zhat Vash.

Star Trek: Picard ' s Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) is one of modern Star Trek 's most interesting characters, but many have forgotten that Raffi once stalked Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). Captain Janeway led the USS Voyager on an unplanned seven-year mission through the unexplored Delta Quadrant, eventually bringing the ship home in one piece. Janeway went on to become one of Starfleet's most celebrated Admirals, and continued to lead missions in Star Trek: Prodigy. Prodigy season 2 ended with the devastating attack on Mars by rogue synths, which was first described in Star Trek: Picard season 1.

Star Trek: Picard season 1 picked up fourteen years after the Mars attack, with Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Raffi still dealing with the ramifications of it. Prior to the attack on Mars, Starfleet had been engaged in a massive project to relocate the Romulan population, as their star was about to go supernova. Admiral Picard led these evacuation efforts, with Lt. Commander Raffi Musiker at his side. When the synths turned on Mars, they killed nearly 100,000 people and destroyed around 20,000 ships. Due to this devastating loss, Starfleet called off the Romulan relocation project, which led Admiral Picard to resign in protest. Raffi struggled in the wake of Picard's resignation, eventually abandoning Starfleet herself.

Star Trek: Picard season 1 was built upon a devastating attack on Mars that changed the Federation, and Star Trek: Prodigy confirms how bad it was.

Why Star Trek: Picard’s Raffi Stalked Admiral Janeway

Raffi grew paranoid and fell into addiction after admiral picard resigned from starfleet..

Before Lt. Commander Raffi Musiker left Starfleet, she became convinced that the Romulan intelligence agency known as the Tal Shiar was behind the Mars attack. This belief eventually led Raffi to stalk Admiral Janeway, possibly in an attempt to get someone to listen to her theories. Although she initially tried to go through the proper channels, Raffi could offer no evidence to support her beliefs, and Starfleet denied her requests for more resources. From that point forward, Raffi grew paranoid and erratic, as she continued to pursue her theories without authorization.

Raffi disobeyed twenty-seven direct orders and committed thirteen offensives worthy of a court-martial. Musiker developed a substance abuse problem, came to work intoxicated, and hacked into the Starfleet database. The last straw for Starfleet Command, however, was when Raffi began stalking Admiral Janeway. Starfleet then ordered Raffi to undergo therapy and attend a rehabilitation program, but after a year, she chose to leave Starfleet anyway. When Jean-Luc Picard sought Raffi out in Star Trek: Picard season 1, the former Starfleet officer lived alone in a small, isolated house in the vicinity of Vasquez Rocks , and described her life after leaving Starfleet as "one long slide into humiliation."

Raffi Was Right About A Starfleet Conspiracy

Raffi's determination to find the truth led her down a dark path, but in the end, she was right all along..

Ironically, Raffi's seemingly crazy conspiracy theories turned out to be right. The attack on Mars was orchestrated by Commodore Oh AKA General Nedar (Tamlyn Tomita), the Zhat Vash's leader who had infiltrated Starfleet. The Zhat Vash were a secret Romulan cabal of Tal Shiar operatives who existed for thousands of years. The main goal of the Zhat Vash was to eliminate all synthetic life in order to prevent extinction of organic life at the hands of artificial intelligence. Oh climbed high enough within Starfleet to become director of Starfleet Security, which gave her the necessary clearance to orchestrate the Mars attack.

The creation of synthetic life had been banned after the Mars attack, but this ban was lifted when the Zhat Vash was revealed to have been the true perpetrators.

Raffi Musiker accompanied Jean-Luc Picard on his adventures in Star Trek: Picard season 1, which unveiled the full extent of the Zhat Vash's involvement in the Mars attacks. Raffi later returned to Starfleet with the rank of Commander and was assigned to the USS Excelsior. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, Raffi was working with Starfleet Intelligence, where she put her investigative skills to good use. When a Starfleet recruitment center was destroyed on M'Talas Prime, Raffi again became determined to uncover the truth, and she was eventually proven right yet again. In Star Trek: Picard season 3's finale, Raffi joined the USS Enterprise-G as the First Officer to Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), having come a long way since she stalked Admiral Janeway.

Star Trek: Picard

*Availability in US

Not available

After starring in Star Trek: The Next Generation for seven seasons and various other Star Trek projects, Patrick Stewart is back as Jean-Luc Picard. Star Trek: Picard focuses on a retired Picard who is living on his family vineyard as he struggles to cope with the death of Data and the destruction of Romulus. But before too long, Picard is pulled back into the action. The series also brings back fan-favorite characters from the Star Trek franchise, such as Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes).

Star Trek: Picard (2020)

star trek romulan woman commander

Star Trek: TNG Finally Leaned In On Patrick Stewart's Shakespeare Past

  • Star Trek TNG allowed Patrick Stewart to showcase his Shakespearean roots, which helped shape Captain Picard's character.
  • Lt. Commander Data explores humanity through Shakespeare with Captain Picard's guidance.
  • TNG's "The Defector" beautifully intertwines Shakespeare's Henry V themes with Picard's character.

Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3 gave Patrick Stewart a chance to embrace his extensive history as a Shakespearean actor. Before taking on the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Patrick Stewart had been a longstanding member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and had starred in numerous Shakespearean productions. Patrick Stewart made Captain Picard one of the most beloved Star Trek characters of all time, and Stewart's own love of Shakespeare was incorporated into Picard as a character. Although Picard regularly quoted the Bard, one TNG episode gave Patrick Stewart the chance to deliver a true Shakespearean performance.

Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation , the android Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) explored what it meant to be human as he sought his own form of humanity. Captain Picard turned to Shakespeare to help Data with this endeavor, telling him that "there is no better" way to learn about the human condition "than by embracing Shakespeare." Through fictional characters like those of Shakespeare's plays, and others like Sherlock Holmes, Data could act out scenes as a human and feign emotion even if he wasn't experiencing the real thing.

10 Star Trek Actors Who Appeared In Shakespeare

To paraphrase William Shakespeare: "All the galaxy's a stage, and all the men and women (and aliens and androids) merely players."

Patrick Stewart Appears As A Holodeck Shakespeare Character In Star Trek: TNG

Data performs shakespeare with two patrick stewarts..

Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 10, "The Defector," opens with a scene on the holodeck in which Captain Picard coaches Data through a scene from Shakespeare's Henry V. In the scene (Act IV, Scene 1), Data portrays Henry V, who has dressed up like a common soldier to anonymously mingle with his soldiers in the field. Nearly unrecognizable in heavy prosthetic make-up and with a thick accent, Patrick Stewart portrays the character of Michael Williams, one of the king's soldiers. Aside from the obvious changes in appearance, Patrick Stewart feels like an entirely different person in this scene.

A film version of Henry V, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, had recently been released when "The Defector" was filmed, and Data cites Branagh as one of the actors whose performances he plans to study.

There is nothing of the confident and assured Captain Picard in the soldier Michael Williams. Of course, this is not at all surprising coming from Patrick Stewart, but it is fun to see such a different kind of performance from him in Star Trek. Although Data attempts to model his performance on that of famous actors' portrayals, Picard encourages him to "discover" his humanity through his own performance. Data's performance is interrupted when Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) contacts Captain Picard to tell him that an unidentified ship has been detected in the Neutral Zone.

Star Trek: TNG's "The Defector" Echoes Shakespeare's Henry V

There are themes from henry v woven throughout the episode..

Not only does the opening scene in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Defector" serve as a nice shout-out to Patrick Stewart's Shakespearean career, but it also foreshadows several of the themes of the episode. At one point, Picard asks Data about the crew's spirit, considering the Federation could soon find itself in another war with the Romulans , remarking that he cannot "walk among his troops" in disguise like Henry V. When Data departs, Picard quotes Henry V directly, saying: "Now, if these men do not die well, it will be a black matter for the king that led them to it."

Shakespeare's Henry V follows the titular king as he leads his army to defeat the French at the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War.

Captain Picard makes a rare admission that he feels the heavy responsibility of someone who must make decisions that could lead to war and death. Later, when two Romulan warbirds arrive to confront the Enterprise, the scene intentionally echoes Henry V. According to TNG executive producer Michael Piller (quoted in Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman): "There are suggestions of Henry V in Picard's stance, bravery and decisions, and what the argument is about." Patrick Stewart's clear familiarity with Shakespeare popped up several times throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it's never more obvious than in "The Defector."

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden

Release Date September 28, 1987

Showrunner Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Star Trek: TNG Finally Leaned In On Patrick Stewart's Shakespeare Past

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Published Jul 11, 2024

8 Times Leonard 'Bones' McCoy's Medical Knowledge Saved the Day

'I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer!'

Stylized and filtered episodic still of McCoy seated in Sickbay as he looks towards his left

StarTrek.com

He's a sounding board for the captain and a sympathetic ear for his crew mates. For the audience, he's a stand-in that reminds us that space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence, but that humanity is going to make it.

He's assisted in births both humanoid (" Friday's Child ") and not (the Gorn birth alluded to in Star Trek Into Darkness ), cauterized a penetrating wound with a hand phaser ( Star Trek Beyond ), created a vaccine while the Enterprise is in a death spiral above a dying world (" The Naked Time ") and put up with a certain half-Vulcan science officer continually putting him in his place.

He's the man of the hour — Dr. Leonard McCoy — and here are eight times his medical prowess saved the day.

" Miri "

Close-up as McCoy lifts a vial of a synthesized vaccine he was working on in 'Miri'

"Miri"

Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, Janice Rand, and two crewmen beam down to a world that's an exact replica of Earth in the middle of the 20th Century. The cities are near-empty, with just two small groups of survivors fighting for life — human children ("Onlies") and the strange humanoid wretches they call "Grups." The team discovers that the strange circumstances are the result of a pathogen unleashed by a medical experiment in prolonging longevity gone wrong and they've all been exposed.

You can probably guess what happens next — the landing party now has a ticking clock tied to their survival (except for Spock, who'll get to live the rest of his life as a carrier surrounded by pre-teens) and McCoy undertakes a desperate quest to isolate the organism responsible for their condition and find a cure.

Despite overwhelming circumstances — the conditions are primitive and the leader of the Onlies, Jahn, steals the landing party's "little boxes" at one point, stranding the doctor without a vital connection to Enterprise 's computers — Bones manages to find the organism responsible and synthesizes what he thinks may be a vaccine.

When presented with the possible cure, Spock immediately pulls a Spock. He states flatly that the vial might also be a beaker full of death since they can't determine dosage and are unable to check their data. McCoy responds by injecting himself to test the cure and prove the Vulcan wrong.

Thankfully, he survived, but how weird would it have been if his Hail Mary pass hadn't worked and they had to replace McCoy so early in the series?

" The Devil in the Dark "

In a cave, McCoy examines the rocky-skinned alien as he lifts his communicator up in 'The Devil in the Dark'

"The Devil in the Dark"

Miners on Janus VI have been stricken by a series of mysterious melty deaths, and the Enterprise answers their distress call to look into the situation and find the cause. They soon discover the Horta, an acid-emitting, silicone-based creature that's been wounded in a series of escalating conflicts between the humans and herself. Spock, again, pulls a Spock and decides to go ahead and mind-meld with her and discovers that she's just trying to protect her babies. Kirk sizes up the situation and calls McCoy down to help the hurt alien.

McCoy examines the rocky-skinned patient and delivers one of the most iconic lines of the franchise, "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer."

Ironically, if he left the medical profession, Bones would make a heck of a contractor. After beaming down "a hundred pounds of that thermoconcrete. You know, the kind we use to build emergency shelters out of," he trowels the silicone-based construction material into the wound, where it will act as a bandage until she heals.

"By golly, Jim, I'm beginning to think I can cure a rainy day," he informs the captain.

" Amok Time "

On Vulcan, McCoy crouches beside Captain Kirk who has his uniform ripped and a bloody gash across his chest in 'Amok Time'

"Amok Time"

Defying orders, the Enterprise diverts to Vulcan to help Spock, who is is suffering from pon-farr , a crippling biological urge that his species undergoes every seven years. It's only after reaching the planet that the first officer reveals that he's married, making it the first time that one of Spock's familial secrets is revealed, but certainly not the last.

Unfortunately, it's not just a matter of mind-melding with T'Pring to relieve the plak tow blood fever, because she's opted for kal-if-fee , in which Spock will have to fight for her love. She chooses Kirk as her champion instead of Stonn, the Vulcan man with whom she wants to be betrothed. (One supposes that this is the sort of thing you do when you want to make the whole infidelity thing just that much more difficult for everyone.)

Kirk and Spock enter combat with one another using traditional weapons and, unsurprisingly, the Vulcan quickly asserts his physical superiority. After the first round, McCoy asks for permission to inject the captain with a tri-ox compound to help him compensate for the planet's thinner atmosphere. That doesn't help as much as anyone would like, as Spock still strangles his best friend, whose body is quickly beamed up.

Spock, shocked at the ritual murder he's just committed, snaps out of the plak tow and lets T'Pring know that it's fine if she wants to run off with Stonn now, because he's done with her drama. He returns to the ship and ignores McCoy's attempts to explain something to announce that he has the intention of turning himself in for court martial. That's when Kirk steps out from the shadows and asks if the first offer should maybe ask the captain first before doing that sort of thing.

What happened? It wasn't tri-ox in the doctor's bag of tricks, but a nerve paralyzer that slipped Kirk into a state that simulated death. This makes us wonder, though — what else is in McCoy's tote?

" Journey to Babel "

McCoy performs cryogenic open-heart procedure while in Sickbay in 'Journey to Babel'

"Journey to Babel"

Stardate 3842.3. Just nine episodes after "Amok Time," the Enterprise returns to Vulcan to pick up Ambassador Sarek as part of a diplomatic party that's being transported to Babel, a neutral planetoid perfect for negotiations. To the surprise of Kirk and McCoy, it's revealed that Sarek is Spock's estranged father.

(Can't this guy just talk to his friends sometime? Maybe give them a heads-up on things like fathers and wives and all that?)

The following things occur in short order — a mysterious vessel is discovered trailing the Enterprise ; an argumentative Tellarite diplomat is murdered using a Vulcan technique after twice confronting Sarek about his forthcoming vote; Sarek is questioned about Gav's death and succumbs to a previously-unrevealed heart condition that can only be cured through surgery that requires Spock's presence as a blood donor; a signal is sent from the pursuing vessel to somewhere on the ship; and Kirk is stabbed and left incapacitated by an Andorian diplomat, Thelev.

Just another Tuesday aboard the Enterprise .

Thelev is quickly arrested but there's still that mysterious vessel to deal with. Spock finds himself duty-bound to sit in the center seat against his mother's and the doctor's wishes. His dilemma is quickly solved when a seemingly-recovered Captain Kirk shows up with the intention of handing the ship over to Scotty and retiring to his quarters while Spock undergoes the blood transfusion. Of course, it doesn't work out that easily.

McCoy performs cryogenic open-heart procedure with a donor who's using an untested Rigelian stimulant to induce blood cell production while the ship is repeatedly rocked by phasers and photon torpedos. There are multiple power failures and Sarek suffers a cardiac arrest, leaving Bones and Nurse Chapel to use portable equipment to keep him alive while the rest of the ship deals with the whole "Fake Andorian Who Turns Out to Be A Romulan Spy Who Is Working to Disrupt the Babel Conference" situation.

Once things are sorted on the bridge, Kirk returns to Sickbay to brief the ambassador and his son, who are now chatting away as if they hadn't spent the last 18 years trying to out-freeze each other. Not only can McCoy perform space battlefield surgery, he can restore families and, after the Captain collapses and is ordered onto a bed, finally get the last word.

" The Enterprise Incident "

In Sickbay, Nurse Chapel and McCoy look over at Captain Kirk who just underwent a cosmetic surgery to appear Romulan in 'The Enterprise Incident'

"The Enterprise Incident"

"Enterprise Medical Log, stardate 5027.3. Dr. Leonard McCoy recording. I'm concerned about Captain Kirk. He shows indications of increasing tension and emotional stress."

You're telling us, Bones. This episode starts with the above quote, and we cut to Kirk going off the deep end and ordering the ship across the Romulan neutral zone. That goes about as well as you'd expect; Kirk and Spock are soon aboard the Romulan flagship and facing possible execution for their crimes.

Kirk suffers a paranoid breakdown aboard the other ship, accusing Spock of being a traitor after seeing how well the Vulcan and the Romulan commander are getting on. McCoy is beamed over to examine him. It's during his ministrations that Kirk suddenly leaps up and attacks his first officer, who defends himself with the never-before-seen Vulcan Death Grip, killing him instantly.

In Sickbay, it's revealed that the entire episode so far was what experts in drama refer to as "a total fake out," and that Captain Kirk is alive. In fact, he's about to get some high-quality otoplasty and eyebrow work courtesy of Bones in order to pass as a Romulan. His actions and Spock's are for the sole purpose of helping Starfleet get its hands on the cloaking device that has plagued them for the last several years.

What's interesting about this episode is that it depends on so many things going right that one slip-up could have led to the whole house of cards collapsing. Additionally, just how much does our favorite doctor know? Is he in on it from the start or does he start to improvise aboard the Romulan vessel once he realizes that Kirk's not really dead?

"Spock's Brain"

With a helmet contraption on his head, McCoy painfully grimaces in 'Spock's Brain'

This episode is part of the pantheon of TOS episodes in which someone boards the ship and does something inconvenient. In this case, it's stealing Spock's brain, which is very inconvenient indeed. The residents of Sigma Draconis VII need the Vulcan's high-powered skull meat to serve as the controller for their vast underground dwelling, and that's why Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, and the remote-controlled body of Spock find themselves there.

They finally get in touch with Spock's mind and he informs them that while he "might trust the doctor to remove a splinter or lance a boil," he doesn't believe that McCoy or indeed anyone has the requisite skills to restore his brain's place in his body. Kirk rightly figures out that if someone from the planet managed to remove the brain, they probably know how to put it back, too.

This leads our rescue party to "the teacher," a device used to impart knowledge for a period of about three hours. McCoy's never performed an encephalplexy before, but he has supreme faith in his abilities to get the procedure done in that time with the help of the teacher. Spock, of course, disagrees, but the doctor's desire to prove him wrong again proves to be a strong motivating factor. Even as the knowledge fades from his mind, McCoy's competence keeps the patient alive and, eventually, restored to his proper place.

Side Note: In Gene Coon's original outline for the episode, McCoy received no alien knowledge directly, he just studied their techniques conventionally and was able to mimic them. This would have made McCoy's surgery even more miraculous.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

In 20th Century San Francisco, an elderly patient informs McCoy that she's undergoing kidney dialysis in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

If you had a present-day doctor go back to the early 1700s, they'd likely be aghast. Smallpox, cowpox, and measles ran rampant; homeopathy was viewed as a perfectly reasonable course of action; and if you burnt yourself, it was likely that you'd be told to use an ointment that included, "mosse that groweth on an old thackt howse top."

With this in mind, it's easy to imagine how a doctor from the 23rd Century felt when visiting a hospital in San Francisco in 1986 and being told by an elderly woman that she was undergoing kidney dialysis.

For the unfamiliar, dialysis is a treatment that occurs at the end stage of kidney failure, when the organs have have lost 85 to 90 percent of their function. Dialysis removes waste and helps the body maintain its blood pressure as well as its levels of potassium and other essential chemicals, which is good; but the average person only lives for an additional five to ten years. The only alternative at the present is a kidney transplant, which comes with its own complications, including outright organ rejection and a recovery period of three to eight weeks.

Bones' immediate response is, "Dialysis? My god, what is this, the Dark Ages?" He hands her a pill, saying, "Here, you swallow that. If you have a problem, just call me," before going to rescue Chekov from a group of surgeons who are literally about to drill a hole in his head.

When we next see the patient (when Kirk, Gillian, and McCoy are trying to wheel Chekov out of the hospital), the understandably delighted woman is informing a group of flustered doctors that the pill he gave her grew a completely new kidney.

Remembered when I wondered what else was in McCoy's bag? Turns out it's full of replacement organs. For Bones, I'm sure it was another Tuesday, but I'd love to see what the Journal of the American Medical Association had to say about the whole thing.

Star Trek (2009)

McCoy, holding an ill Kirk up, addresses a Starfleet official in Star Trek (2009)

In the Kelvin Timeline, Bones saved the Federation. No big deal.

Seriously, without his absolutely encyclopedic knowledge of alien diseases, he never could have gotten Jim Kirk sick enough to have him brought aboard the Enterprise under his care.

Sure, his hands are grotesquely swollen as a result of the vaccine against against viral infection from Melvaran mud fleas and his tongue goes numb as a result of the cortazone that McCoy administered to counter the inflated hands, but Kirk is able to warn Pike and the Enterprise arrives at Vulcan with its shields up and under red alert, giving them an advantage the rest of Starfleet didn’t have.

Without McCoy's knowledge and ability to act on it, Nero and crew of the Narada could have rampaged across the galaxy, crushing planets with impunity as long as they had red matter to play with. That makes this a perfect place to wrap up the article, as there's just no way we can beat that.

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This article was originally published on May 2, 2019.

Kevin Church (he/him) lives in Brooklyn, NY with his partner Robin and two small dogs. He writes comics, takes pictures, and occasionally updates They Boldly Went, a Tumblr dedicated to The Original Series. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Church.

Memory Alpha

Commander Tomalak was an influential officer in the Romulan military during the late 24th century .

  • 2 Holograms
  • 3.1 Background information
  • 3.2 Appearances
  • 3.3 Apocrypha
  • 3.4 External link

History [ ]

Tomalak was the commander of the Romulan D'deridex -class warbird that violated the Romulan Neutral Zone in 2366 to rescue the crew of the Romulan scout ship Pi , that had crashed on Galorndon Core . Tomalak denied that the scout ship had illegally entered Federation space by claiming that it had suffered a " navigational failure", and he also denied the possibility of a second crew member since the USS Enterprise -D recovered Patahk from the surface. He was prepared to fire on the Enterprise after Patahk's death, though he desisted after a second crew member, Bochra , was returned safely. ( TNG : " The Enemy ")

Later that year, Tomalak was part of an elaborate deception involving Alidar Jarok and a supposed Romulan military build-up on Nelvana III . He allowed Jarok's defection to the Federation, and when the Enterprise -D illegally entered the Neutral Zone to investigate Jarok's reports, Tomalak had a pair of warbirds waiting for them. Tomalak boasted how he intended to "dissect the Enterprise -D for every precious bit of information," and then to display its broken hull in the capital on Romulus to both inspire the Romulan armies and serve as a reminder to any other traitors of the state. The crewmembers were to become prisoners-of- war . However, Tomalak was forced to withdraw when the Enterprise -D revealed it had brought along Klingon reinforcements. ( TNG : " The Defector ")

In a timeline caused by Q and negated by Picard in 2370 , Tomalak commanded the Terix , one of thirty warbirds deployed along the Romulan Neutral Zone in response to the appearance of an anti-time eruption in the Devron system . Tomalak confronted Jean-Luc Picard concerning their mutual fleet movements, and each agreed to send a single vessel into the Neutral Zone to investigate. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Holograms [ ]

Tomalak, hologram

A hologram of Tomalak

A hologram of Tomalak was part of two holoprograms created by the alien Barash in 2367 from Commander William T. Riker 's mind on Alpha Onias III .

In the programs, Tomalak was at first a Romulan ambassador participating in negotiations for a Romulan-Federation alliance. When Riker found discrepancies in the program, Barash created a second one, in which Tomalak was commanding a secret base on the planet and wanted to get the position of Outpost 23 from Riker, but this was no more real than the first program. ( TNG : " Future Imperfect ")

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Tomalak was played by Andreas Katsulas .

Appearances [ ]

  • " The Enemy "
  • " The Defector "
  • " Future Imperfect " ( hologram )
  • " All Good Things... "

Apocrypha [ ]

Tomalak made his first chronological appearance in Vulcan's Heart as a centurion in 2329. At this time, he commandeered a ground car to transport Spock , Ruanek, and Charvanek to a scout ship to escape from the Romulan Neutral Zone .

His next chronological appearance was in the DC Comics volume 2 issue #17: " The Weapon ", set in 2366 where he accosted the Enterprise while her crew was being possessed by strange energy beings.

In the Star Trek Unlimited issue " None but the Brave and Inheritance ", set some time after 2367 , Tomalak made an appearance in the story "Inheritance" where he was behind the capture of Geordi La Forge and Dr. Leah Brahms in an effort to repair an early Federation technology.

In the IDW Publishing comic series Star Trek: The Next Generation - Intelligence Gathering set in late 2368 , he attempted to kidnap Data in order to get assistance with closing an inter-dimensional rift. He finally succeeded on Rete Mire and they were able to close the rift due to the sacrifice of a Romulan Centurion. When Picard asked him why he had gone to such lengths rather than simply asking for assistance and Riker answered by saying " Romulans fear disgrace more than death. " Tomalak pointed out that at least one of the Enterprise -D crew understood Romulans.

In the short story "Performance Appraisal" from the No Limits collection set in 2369 , Tomalak encountered Kat Mueller in the USS Grissom near the Neutral Zone border.

In the novel The Badlands, Book Two set in 2371 , Tomalak had been promoted to High Commander and assigned Centurion Seylok to proceed to the Badlands to capture an artificial quantum singularity. Tomalak had promoted the young man to make it seem like a low priority mission in order to misdirect the changelings .

In the Marvel Comics Deep Space Nine comic series , Tomalak appeared in the issues " Public Enemies, Private Lives " and " Public Enemies, Private Lives, Conclusion " set in 2373 where he was working on a mission with his son together with a group of Maquis . His son murdered the entire Maquis cell and kidnapped Jake Sisko . Tomalak informed Narak that his actions had dishonored their family name. He also appeared in " Day of Honor ", when he arrived with Tebok in warbirds to help defend Deep Space 9 against a Dominion incursion later in 2373.

Tomalak made an appearance in the novel The Genesis Wave, Book One set in 2376 , he was part of a task force dispatched by the Romulan Empire to aid the Federation. He met with Picard near a Bolian colony.

In the novels Vulcan's Soul and Epiphany , set in 2377 , he took several warbirds to Vulcan space to retrieve an artifact. Once again, he encountered Picard and the Enterprise .

In the novel Taking Wing , set in 2380 , from the Star Trek: Titan series shows Tomalak becoming proconsul of the Romulan Senate after the fall of Shinzon . In Death in Winter , set around the same time, he is portrayed helping protect the planet of Romulus. He is finally arrested and left in the Federation to stand trial after his attempts to help the newly-formed Typhon Pact acquire their own quantum slipstream drive results in the destruction of Deep Space 9 and the Pact and the Federation being pushed to war in the novel Raise the Dawn .

In the backstory to Star Trek Online Tomalak became Fleet Commander after Shinzon's coup, and led a punitive blockade of Remus through 2381 . He remained loyal to the Empire when Donatra led several ships and planets in rebellion, forming the Imperial Romulan State ( β ) in opposition to the Imperial government led by Praetor Tal'aura . Donatra soundly defeated him when he attacked her ships at Xanitla in 2383 , and he was further disgraced by the defection of his handpicked second-in-command, Admiral Taris . Tal'aura removed him from command and forced him into retirement at his estate on Romulus. His fate following the supernova of 2387 is unknown.

Tomalak appears in the video game Star Trek: Conquest as the captain of a playable ship.

External link [ ]

  • Tomalak at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • 1 Daniels (Crewman)
  • 2 Star Trek: Prodigy

IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. Joanne Linville

    Joanne Linville (15 January 1928 - 20 June 2021; age 93) was an actress who played the Romulan commander in the Star Trek: The Original Series third season episode "The Enterprise Incident". She filmed her scenes on Wednesday 19 June 1968, and between Monday 24 June 1968 and Wednesday 26 June 1968 at Desilu Stage 9 and Paramount Stage 3. Linville was the first actress to play a female ...

  2. "Star Trek" The Enterprise Incident (TV Episode 1968)

    The Enterprise Incident: Directed by John Meredyth Lucas. With William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Joanne Linville. An apparently insane Capt. Kirk has the Enterprise deliberately enter the Romulan Neutral Zone where the ship is immediately captured by the enemy.

  3. Joanne Linville Dead: 'Star Trek' Romulan Commander Had ...

    Joanne Linville, who played the Romulan commander in a memorable 1968 Star Trek episode and had scores of other screen credits, died Sunday. She was 93. She was 93. CAA made the announcement but ...

  4. Joanne Linville Dead: 'Star Trek' Romulan Commander Was 93

    By Ethan Shanfeld. Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection. Joanne Linville, who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in " Star Trek ," died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to ...

  5. Joanne Linville: First woman to play a Romulan commander in Star Trek

    Joanne Linville: First woman to play a Romulan commander in Star Trek. After stealing Spock's heart in the 1960s series, the prolific performer went on to have many roles on the small screen

  6. Joanne Linville (1928-2021), "Star Trek" Romulan commander actress

    She is was a prolific actress in film and TV from the 1950s-1980s, but was best known to Star Trek fans as the Romulan Commander in the Original Seties episode "The Enterprise Incident." pic ...

  7. Joanne Linville, Romulan Commander who romanced Spock on Star Trek

    Joanne Linville, an actor whose career included a pair of memorable appearances in early sci-fi TV classics, has passed away at the age of 93, via Deadline.In addition to playing the central character in a haunting episode of The Twilight Zone, Linville also carved out a place in Star Trek history by appearing in the original TV series' third season as a Romulan commander who falls ...

  8. Joanne Linville

    Series: TOS. Character (s): Romulan Commander. Joanne Linville played the Romulan commander in the Star Trek: The Original Series third season episode "The Enterprise Incident". As such, she was the first actress to play a female Romulan in the Star Trek franchise, and it may be this role for which she is most well-known.

  9. Joanne Linville, who played a Romulan commander in 'Star Trek ...

    June 21, 2021, 8:09 PM PDT. By Variety. Joanne Linville, who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in "Star Trek," died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to Variety. She was ...

  10. Joanne Linville, Who Played a Romulan Commander in 'Star Trek ...

    Joanne Linville, who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in "Star Trek," died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to Variety.She was 93. Born in Bakersfield, Calif. as Beverly Joanne Linville, she was the first female actor to play a Romulan in the "Star Trek" franchise. Linville was a fixture on television from the 1950s to the '80s, appearing in over 100 film and ...

  11. Joanne Linville, Who Played a Romulan Commander in 'Star Trek,' Dies at

    Joanne Linville, who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in "Star Trek," died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to Variety. She was 93. Born in Bakersfield, Calif. as Beverly Joanne Linville, she was the first female actor to play a Romulan in the "Star Trek" franchise. Linville was a fixture on television from the 1950s to the '80s, appearing in over 100 film and ...

  12. The Enterprise Incident

    "The Enterprise Incident" is the second episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by D. C. Fontana and directed by John Meredyth Lucas, it was first broadcast September 27, 1968.. In the episode, the crew of the Enterprise are on a secret mission to steal a Romulan cloaking device.

  13. "Star Trek" The Enterprise Incident (TV Episode 1968)

    Romulan Commander : It is unworthy of a Vulcan to resort to subterfuge. Spock : You're being clever, Commander. That is unworthy of a Romulan. Romulan Commander : [to Spock] If you'll give me a moment. The soldier will transform herself... into a woman. Romulan Commander : Romulan women are not like Vulcan females.

  14. Joanne Linville Dies: 'Star Trek' Romulan Commander ...

    Joanne Linville, who played the Romulan commander in a memorable 1968 Star Trek episode and had scores of other screen credits, died Sunday. She was 93. CAA made the announcement but did not ...

  15. Joanne Linville, who played a Romulan commander in 'Star Trek ...

    Joanne Linville, who was best known for playing a Romulan commander in "Star Trek," died Sunday in Los Angeles, her agent confirmed to Variety. She was 93.

  16. Romulans Stopped Being Star Trek Villains In TNG

    In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 7, "The Enemy," Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) finds himself stranded on a storm-ravaged planet with a Romulan named Bochra (John ...

  17. The Romulan Commander (female)

    The Romulan Commander is an unnamed female character in the Star Trek: TOS episode "The Enterprise Incident". She is one of the most intriguing and fannishly-imagined characters in Star Trek and is featured in many fanworks.. Brief Canon Description of the Romulan Commander

  18. Romulan

    In Star Trek: Titan premier Taking Wing (2005), the Romulan Star Empire collapses into civil war in the wake of Star Trek: Nemesis. The Star Trek: Titan novel The Red King (2005) opens with the disappearance of a Romulan fleet and features Donatra, the Romulan commander featured in Star Trek: Nemesis, working alongside William Riker and his crew.

  19. Sheryl's Star Trek Site: Star Trek Women: Classic Star Trek:Romulan

    Romulan Commander. Officer in charge of the Romulan battle cruiser that captured the Enterprise when Kirk and Spock crossed the Romulan Neutral Zone on a spy mission in 2268. She attempted to persuade Spock to defect to the Romulan Star Empire, an effort made significantly more persuasive by personal attraction Spock felt for the commander.

  20. Sela

    Commander Sela was a military officer in the Romulan military, and an extremely important figure in the Empire's covert attempts to destabilize both the Federation and the Klingon Empire. She was the product of a union between Starfleet officer Tasha Yar's counterpart from an alternate timeline and a Romulan general. In the year 2344, while in the middle of a battle with four Romulan Warbirds ...

  21. Romulan

    The Romulans were a humanoid race from the planet Romulus. The Romulans were biological cousins of Vulcans, descended from those who rejected Surak's reforms during the Time of Awakening. By the 24th century, the Romulan Star Empire was one of the major powers in the galaxy. After a supernova destroyed the Romulan sun, the Romulan Free State became the official government. Eventually, the ...

  22. Shoulder Pads of Power: Romulan Fashion and Women's Empowerment

    The infamous shoulder pads make a comeback in Star Trek: Picard to emphasize the formidable power of Picard's new Romulan foes, namely Narissa and Oh. These two women characters are introduced early in the series as undercover Romulan operatives in Starfleet working for the shadowy Zhat Vash. After Narissa and Oh reveal their true identities ...

  23. Star Trek: TNG's Dr. Crusher Almost Romanced A Romulan Defector

    Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) had several romances throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, but one episode almost paired Beverly with a Romulan defector. With her profound sense of empathy and compassion, Dr. Crusher made an excellent Chief Medical Officer on the USS Enterprise-D. Beverly lived and worked on the Enterprise-D for six out of TNG's seven seasons, but her character was ...

  24. Star Trek Calls Out Spock's "False Modesty" as the Fatal Weakness ...

    Spock's false modesty is highlighted in Star Trek: Defiant #16 by Romulan Commander Sela. Spock's faliure to save the Romulans during the supernova seems to reinforce Sela's points. However, Sela ...

  25. Geordi's Star Trek: TNG Advice To Data Paid Off 30 Years Later In Picard

    Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) learned a lot about himself throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, and one lesson from Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) came in handy decades later in Star Trek: Picard.As one of the most advanced androids of his time, Data spent most of TNG observing the humans around him, trying to learn as much about humanity as he possibly could.

  26. Everyone Forgot Star Trek: Picard's Raffi Stalked Admiral Janeway

    Star Trek: Picard's Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) is one of modern Star Trek's most interesting characters, but many have forgotten that Raffi once stalked Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). Captain Janeway led the USS Voyager on an unplanned seven-year mission through the unexplored Delta Quadrant, eventually bringing the ship home in one piece.

  27. Donatra

    Commander Donatra was an officer in the Romulan military. She was the commanding officer of the Valdore, a Valdore-type Romulan warbird. In 2379, Donatra was a co-conspirator in a plot to elevate Shinzon to the position of praetor of the Romulan Star Empire, and, along with fellow commander Suran, acted as a military advisor to Shinzon. When Shinzon expressed skepticism regarding Suran's ...

  28. Star Trek: TNG Finally Leaned In On Patrick Stewart's Shakespeare ...

    Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 10, "The Defector," opens with a scene on the holodeck in which Captain Picard coaches Data through a scene from Shakespeare's Henry V. In the ...

  29. 8 Times Leonard 'Bones' McCoy's Medical Knowledge Saved the Day

    That goes about as well as you'd expect; Kirk and Spock are soon aboard the Romulan flagship and facing possible execution for their crimes. Kirk suffers a paranoid breakdown aboard the other ship, accusing Spock of being a traitor after seeing how well the Vulcan and the Romulan commander are getting on. McCoy is beamed over to examine him.

  30. Tomalak

    Commander Tomalak was an influential officer in the Romulan military during the late 24th century. Tomalak was the commander of the Romulan D'deridex-class warbird that violated the Romulan Neutral Zone in 2366 to rescue the crew of the Romulan scout ship Pi, that had crashed on Galorndon Core. Tomalak denied that the scout ship had illegally entered Federation space by claiming that it had ...