star trek next generation chief o'brien

Chief O'Brien's Tragic Star Trek Timeline Explained

Senior Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien has led a storied life. He joined Starfleet at 17 years old , and by the time he settled down to teach engineering to cadets who outranked him the second they graduated, he'd served for 30 years. This jack-of-all-trades and certified transporter wizard can beam a radioactive MacGuffin through an ion storm in the middle of a swirly blue temporal distortion, keep a mishmash of Federation, Cardassian, and Bajoran technology running for seven seasons, and is an expert in starship combat, to boot. O'Brien doesn't need to be an officer to command respect.

However, O'Brien's rise from random bridge guy to main cast member wasn't all a shiny Galaxy -class ride set to heroic music. Star Trek loves to torture its engineers, after all, and our mild-mannered transporter chief has a biography that would make a Vulcan weep. Get the violins ready because we're about to dive into Chief O'Brien's tragic Star Trek timeline.

Chief O'Brien saw the horrors of war early on

O'Brien served aboard the USS Rutledge early in his career, when Starfleet was embroiled in the Federation-Cardassian War. During the conflict, the Cardassians came to believe that the Federation had established a military base on Setlik III, and they set out to destroy it. According to Memory Alpha , all they found was a civilian colony, but they attacked anyway, killing most of the colonists.

The Rutledge was the first Federation ship to arrive, leaving O'Brien to witness the bloody aftermath firsthand as the crew worked to rescue the remaining survivors amid Cardassian patrols. O'Brien saved 13 people by repairing a field transporter and beaming everyone away, but he truly distinguished himself when he led a group of two dozen against a regiment of Cardassians, an offensive which would change him forever. As he was protecting a group of civilians, two Cardassians ambushed O'Brien. He managed to knock one out, but he had to shoot the other ... with a phaser he didn't know was set to maximum.

O'Brien had never killed anyone before and was haunted by the incident for years to come. He was decorated for his valor in the colony and became known as the " hero of Setlik III ," but he didn't relish the title, merely tolerating it. O'Brien came to resent Cardassians and would later recount that he hated the person he became after the massacre.

He had to face down his former captain

By the time of the Next Generation episode " The Wounded ," the Federation and the Cardassians have signed a peace treaty, and a newly married O'Brien is serving on the Enterprise . The transporter chief's honeymoon gets tossed on its head, however, when he learns that Captain Benjamin Maxwell, his commanding officer during the war, has gone rogue and is attacking and destroying Cardassian ships. The Enterprise is tasked with entering Cardassian space and finding Maxwell's ship, the Phoenix , and bringing it home, a mission tailor-made to dredge up painful memories.

Maxwell's wife and children were killed in the Setlik III massacre, so it doesn't take long for accusations of revenge to fly. O'Brien, however, refuses to believe that his former captain doesn't have a good reason for what he's doing, and when the Enterprise crew finally catches up with Maxwell, the captain claims that the Cardassians are preparing to start another war. Captain Picard , however, is there to stop Maxwell from kicking off a conflict and orders the rogue officer to follow the Enterprise back to Federation space.

En route, Maxwell suddenly takes the Phoenix off toward another Cardassian ship, telling Picard that he'll destroy it if the Enterprise crew doesn't board it. In a bid to keep the two captains from trading photon torpedoes, O'Brien pulls some transporter magic and beams onto the Phoenix through its shields. There, he finally manages to talk Maxwell, who'd already killed more than 600 Cardassians , into surrendering.

Chief O'Brien took his own family hostage while possessed

O'Brien leads a generally happy life on the Enterprise , but he wouldn't be O'Brien if something bad didn't happen to him every now and then. In the TNG episode " Power Play ," he's called upon for more transporter voodoo, in this case to beam a stranded away team up from a stormy planet. He succeeds in doing so ... but gets possessed, along with Data and Troi, by imprisoned alien lifeforms hoping to free their comrades.

The aliens are quite intent on moving the Enterprise into position to rescue their buddies, but they're not very patient and try to take over when they don't get what they want. They end up in Ten-Forward, the Enterprise' s fancy space pub, where they take hostages, including O'Brien's wife, Keiko, and his newborn daughter, Molly.

After the Enterprise has moved to their desired location, the aliens each take a hostage (with O'Brien choosing Keiko) to a cargo bay, where the chief's transporter knowledge will be used to beam the rest of the prisoners on board. They're ultimately foiled, and it's revealed at the end of the episode that O'Brien was conscious the entire time he was possessed but was unable to do anything as he terrorized his own wife and daughter.

He almost succumbed to a biological weapon

O'Brien receives the promotion of his life after five years aboard the Enterprise . He goes from being the "beam me up" guy to the chief of operations of Deep Space Nine, the Federation's newest secondhand outpost. Of course, taking an everyman like O'Brien and making him the chief engineer in a Star Trek series is like dressing someone in sheet metal and having him run through a thunderstorm carrying a steel pole. Case in point: the DS9 episode " Armageddon Game ."

In this outing, O'Brien and Dr. Bashir are helping two alien races, the Kelleruns and the T'Lani, destroy their stocks of biological weapons, along with all knowledge on how to create them. Neither of them were informed that this process includes killing everyone who helped to dispose of the weapons, leaving the duo quite confused when soldiers storm in and kill all the extras just as the last batch is being eradicated. O'Brien gets gassed by a bioweapon in the mayhem, but he and Bashir escape, leaving the two to sneak and fight their way to freedom as more soldiers hunt them, all while O'Brien gets sicker and sicker. Eventually cornered, Bashir and a nearly dead O'Brien end up facing an impromptu firing squad just before Sisko swoops in to save the day.

O'Brien was kidnapped and replaced by a duplicate

In literally the next episode after almost dying from an alien bioweapon, our beleaguered hero gets kidnapped. In " Whispers ," O'Brien is helping the Paradans — who've been locked in a civil war for several years — prepare for peace talks, but then the Paradan government takes him and replaces him with a replicant . This copy has all of O'Brien's knowledge and memories and doesn't know what he is ... but he's also programmed to assassinate the rebels' diplomatic delegation. The Paradan rebels, however, are wise to the government's plan and warn Deep Space Nine before Fake O'Brien returns.

When the replicant gets "home," things aren't right. No one seems to trust him, he's kept from working on anything pertaining to the peace conference, and he realizes that he's being surveilled. He concludes he's run afoul of some massive conspiracy once Sisko and Kira try to arrest him, after which the replicant escapes.

O'Brien's duplicate ends up making his way back to Parada II, where he finds Sisko and Kira meeting with the rebels, but just as he thinks he's about to stop whatever they're plotting, he gets shot. That's when it's revealed that Sisko and Kira were there to pick up the real O'Brien, who now gets to watch himself die. The replicant's last words to his real counterpart are "Keiko ... tell her I love ..." Cheerful.

This Star Trek hero was framed by the Cardassians

Chief O'Brien takes a much-needed vacation in the DS9 episode " Tribunal " ... or at least he tries to. Everything is squared away for his absence from the station, and he even crosses paths with an old friend from the Rutledge , Raymond Boone, on his way to his shuttle. But then, as he and Keiko are en route to their destination, the Cardassians show up to arrest O'Brien, stunning him in front of his wife and carting him off.

On Cardassia, O'Brien is stripped naked, has a molar pulled from his mouth, and is repeatedly prompted to confess to charges he hasn't even heard. Eventually, O'Brien learns that he's been accused of smuggling weapons to the Maquis, Federation rebels who remain hostile to the Cardassians despite the peace treaty, and that the Cardassians who arrested him found photon torpedoes in his runabout's cargo bay.

O'Brien's execution is already scheduled, and the trial is a mere formality. He's just been declared guilty when Sisko enters the courtroom with O'Brien's old buddy Boone, except it isn't Boone. The real Boone was killed years earlier and replaced by a surgically altered Cardassian spy , who recorded O'Brien's voice when they "bumped into each other" and used it to steal the photon torpedoes and frame him, all part of a Cardassian ploy to discredit the Federation and increase their own negotiating clout. O'Brien, with a dead friend to mourn, is released.

O'Brien died (but kept on serving)

For most people, watching themself die would be a life-changing, traumatic experience. For O'Brien, it's Tuesday. In " Visionary ," the chief finds himself briefly time-jumping a few hours into his future. While Dax and Dr. Bashir work to figure out the cause, a few more time shifts ensue, which give O'Brien a chance to do things like help himself in a Klingon bar fight and witness and subsequently prevent his own assassination, until a jump lands him in the morgue, standing over his own corpse. Luckily, Dr. Bashir is there to tell the chief that his autopsy revealed previously undetected damage to his nervous system due to the time shifts, information which O'Brien can relay once he shifts back.

Everything's going to be okay ... until O'Brien jumps forward one last time and finds himself piloting a shuttle full of evacuees away from Deep Space Nine as it explodes. To save the station, Bashir fashions a device that blasts O'Brien with radiation and sends him back to the future, a bit before DS9 blows. O'Brien wakes his future self up, and the two quickly figure out why the station blew when a Romulan Warbird decloaks and attacks. Dying from the radiation, O'Brien gives Future O'Brien the device so the latter can go back, warn everyone, and save the day.

He was given 20 years of prison memories

The universe's next gut punch comes in the form of the DS9 episode " Hard Time ," in which O'Brien once again finds himself arrested, this time by the Argrathi. The chief is wrongfully convicted of espionage, and his captors have a very efficient correctional system. They implant the memory of a 20-year prison sentence into O'Brien's mind before the rest of the DS9 crew even knows what happened. In real life, only a few hours have passed, but as far as O'Brien is concerned, he's just spent two decades growing old and gray in a dark cell. He had one friend while incarcerated, his cellmate Ee'char, but near the end of his sentence, after the years had frayed his mind, O'Brien killed his friend for hoarding food, only to realize that Ee'char had been saving it for both of them.

And then he's suddenly back at DS9 with 20 years of unremovable prison memories. O'Brien tries to adjust but understandably can't get over what happened. He becomes ever more irritable and violent before finally almost hitting his daughter. After this, he runs off to a cargo bay, finds a weapons locker, and takes out a phaser, ready to commit suicide. Thankfully, Bashir talks him down.

O'Brien lost another friend

As detailed by Memory Alpha , during his time on Deep Space Nine, O'Brien becomes good friends with another crewman, Enrique Muniz. Sadly, this friendship doesn't last long. In " The Ship ," Sisko, Dax, Worf, and O'Brien are surveying an alien planet, and they find a crashed Jem'Hadar vessel. With the main cast members are several other personnel, including Muniz, so you can probably guess where this is going. Another group of Jem'Hadar soon show up and destroy the DS9 crew's runabout, and our heroes are left holed up in the crashed Dominion ship.

During a firefight, Muniz receives a minor wound, which isn't enough to stop him from saving O'Brien from an infiltrating Jem'Hadar soldier. Muniz's wound won't stop bleeding, though, and it becomes apparent that the weapon that hit the crewman had poisoned him with some sort of anticoagulant. As O'Brien watches helplessly, his friend's condition deteriorates, with Muniz beginning to hallucinate that he's a child again, visiting a carnival with his dad. By the time the Defiant arrives to rescue O'Brien and the others, poor Muniz has died.

He just can't catch a break with Cardassians

Chief O'Brien simply can't catch a break when it comes to Cardassians, as seen in the episode " Empok Nor ." O'Brien, Nog, and four Starfleet crewmen are sent to the eponymous abandoned space station to salvage parts. Along for the ride is DS9's resident tailor/spy Garak, who's there to disarm booby traps. The party's presence, however, awakens two Cardassian soldiers — left to guard Empok Nor — from stasis. They've been shot full of some serious mind-altering drugs, and they waste little time destroying the intruders' ship and killing two crewmen.

Garak, a clothier with no shortage of deadly skills, goes after the soldiers while the rest try to contact DS9. He kills one but is exposed to the drug. The other soldier takes out a third crewman and is about to kill the fourth when Garak dispatches him as well ... right before slaying the final crewman himself.

Garak proceeds to go full supervillain, taking Nog hostage and taunting O'Brien about the Setlik III massacre before O'Brien agrees to fight the Cardassian hand-to-hand on the station's promenade, where Garak has hung the bodies of the dead crewmen. Garak proceeds to beat the Starfleet out of O'Brien, but the chief manages to stun him with a strategically set-down tricorder rigged to explode. O'Brien, despite presumably acquiring a whole new pile of Cardassian-based PTSD triggers, later agrees to testify that Garak wasn't responsible for his drug-fueled rampage.

O'Brien had to betray a friend

O'Brien's résumé is further expanded in the DS9 episode " Honor Among Thieves ," in which he's recruited by Starfleet Intelligence to infiltrate the Orion Syndicate, the biggest organized crime outfit in the Alpha Quadrant, to learn the identity of a mole the Syndicate has in Starfleet. Posing as a down-on-his-luck engineer named "Connelly," O'Brien utilizes his space handyman skills to earn the trust of a few Syndicate operatives, including Liam Bilby , for whom he does several jobs.

Things become more ominous when O'Brien is asked to repair several Klingon disruptors and subsequently witnesses the Syndicate meeting with a representative of the Dominion. At this point, O'Brien's assignment changes to finding out what's going down, and he discovers that the Dominion wants the Syndicate to assassinate a Klingon ambassador in order to destabilize the Federation-Klingon alliance. O'Brien passes this information on to his handler, who immediately warns the ambassador, but there's a problem. A genuine friendship has formed between O'Brien and Bilby, who's supposed to carry out the assassination and is now walking into certain death.

O'Brien visits Bilby, reveals his true identity, and warns him that the Klingons know he's coming. He urges his shocked friend to turn himself in or go into hiding, but Bilby chooses to go through with the assassination attempt and die so that the Syndicate will look after his family rather than kill them.

O'Brien nearly lost his daughter in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

It's a good thing O'Brien's a workaholic because his days off are clearly cursed. In " Time's Orphan ," he, Keiko, Molly, and his baby son, Kirayoshi, are enjoying a picnic on Golana, and everything's good until they hear Molly scream. She's wandered into a nearby cave, and O'Brien finds her hanging from the edge of a cliff, dangling over an alien time travel device. Molly falls before her father can save her, and then the portal deactivates. O'Brien and a science team get the time portal running again and beam Molly out, but they're met by a feral teenager, not an eight-year-old. Molly has been stuck in the past for ten years.

On Deep Space Nine, Molly has an understandably difficult time adjusting. Slowly, she makes progress, eventually uttering the words "mommy" and "daddy," but things take a turn for the worst when Molly freaks out and assaults several people in Quark's bar. Not wanting to see their daughter institutionalized, the O'Briens make a heart-wrenching decision — to send her back through the portal and then destroy it to keep her safe. After a last tearful goodbye, Molly tells her parents she loves them. On the other side, though, she finds herself back at the same point in time she was originally sent to when she was eight, and she sends her younger self back through the portal to her parents, an act which erases teenage Molly from existence.

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Published Jan 30, 2024

The Hardships of Miles Edward O’Brien

An examination of the inexplicably painful Starfleet career of the galaxy's unluckiest Irishman.

StarTrek.com

The life of a Starfleet officer can be fraught with danger.

As Captain Kirk put it, "Risk is our business." But what about the life of a non-commissioned officer? As it turns out, the Starfleet grunts bear the brunt of that risk business. None more so than Senior Chief Petty Officer Miles Edward O’Brien, whose career is a resume filled with an unfair excess of pain and suffering. So why is Chief O’Brien so unlucky?

It’s time we get to the bottom of Miles’s monumental misfortune. With a thorough exploration of several of the chief’s most harrowing experiences, perhaps we can determine the possible causes of his undue grief, and maybe even put his cursed career into the larger context of his life to truly determine if Miles Edward O’Brien really is as unlucky as we give him credit for.

So, let’s take a look at that time Chief O’Brien was…

Shoved into a Jefferies Tube with Spiders

" realm of fear ," star trek: the next generation.

"Realm of Fear"

During a mission on Zayra IV, the arachnophobic chief was forced into a Jefferies tube overrun with Talarian hook spiders.

If the thought of slipping into a tight, coffin-shaped (emphasis on "coffin") tube filled with giant spiders fills you with dread, then just imagine the shear terror that erupted in poor O’Brien — who grew up with a morbid fear of spiders — when he was told that the mission relied on him becoming an unwilling contestant in Fear Factor: Starfleet Edition !

"All’s well that ends well," wrote William Shakespeare, a man whose plays usually didn’t end well for their characters. However, for O’Brien, this terrifying session of exposure therapy did succeed in freeing him of his phobia. Aboard the Enterprise -D, he kept a Lycosa tarantula named Christina. Still, I’m not sure the reward was equal to risk. Crawling through spiders is not where most Starfleet recruits sign up to "boldly go."

Nearly Killed by a Biogenic Weapon

" armageddon game ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Armageddon Game"

After O'Brien helps to disarm stockpiles of a deadly bio-mechanical weapon known as Harvesters, he is accidentally infected and faces a painful death.

No good deed goes unpunished. That thought was surely on the chief's mind when, moments after helping to end a centuries-long war by destroying the bio-weapons, he and Dr. Bashir are ambushed by Kellerun soldiers determined to make sure the secret of the Harvesters dies with everyone in the room. Though they survive the attack, O'Brien discovers that he’s been infected and now faces the prospect of dying alone with a babbling Bashir. As Miles tells Keiko later, "It was hell…you can see for yourself, the man never stops taking!"

The poor chief can't even die in peace. And as if that’s not enough, mere moments from a firing squad, O’Brien let slip that serving with Bashir was an honor. How will he ever live that down?

Replaced by a Replicant

" whispers ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Whispers"

While on a mission to the Parada system, Chief O'Brien is captured and replaced with a replicant programmed for peace conference mayhem.

No, technically this hardship isn’t Chief O'Brien's. Still, it's further proof that Miles is so unlucky that even copies of him must suffer. Xerox-O'Brien is a perfect clone, with no idea he's a fake. So, when his friends and family begin to act strange around him, he assumes it’s a conspiracy and becomes a paranoid wreck.

Because the counterfeit chief wholeheartedly believes himself to be the real deal, it's heartbreaking when he takes a fatal phaser blast and discovers the truth. His last words, "Keiko…tell her I love—" could easily have been uttered by the genuine O'Brien. A pretty raw deal when you consider that Commander Riker's double, Thomas Riker, gets to live out his days at a sunny Cardassian labor camp. Life can be so unfair.

Framed and Imprisoned on Cardassia

" tribunal ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Tribunal"

On the way to some R&R with the wife, Chief O'Brien is framed and imprisoned by the Cardassians.

Yes, even on vacation, the chief can't catch a break. Within minutes of arriving on Cardassia, O'Brien is stripped naked, slammed into a chair, and has a molar painfully ripped from his mouth with pliers — and that’s just the booking process. Worse, in the Cardassian’s Law & Order & Unwanted Dental Surgery legal system, the trial is just a formality. O’Brien's execution has already been scheduled.

Thankfully, back on Deep Space 9 , Miles’ crewmates succeed in uncovering the Cardassian conspiracy and secure his release. Still, to put O'Brien’s brutal week on Cardassia in perspective, three years later when Dr. Bashir is captured and held prisoner by the Dominion for more than a month, he makes it out without losing a single tooth! Hardly seems fair.

Killed and Replaced by a Future O’Brien

" visionary ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Visionary"

Yes, you read that right — O'Brien ACTUALLY DIED.

Thanks to a workplace accident involving radiation and a cloaked Romulan warbird, O'Brien is pulled into the future. Every time he time jumps, O'Brien gets a glimpse of DS9’s impending destruction. The only way to save DS9 is one more jump to the future. Unfortunately, that final jump is one too many, and the Miles we’ve known and loved is killed by radiation. No last minute medical miracles or techno-babble resurrections, just a reluctant swap with the O’Brien from that future.

While future-O’Brien's presence succeeds in keeping DS9’s crew manifest from being short one "living O’Brien," it’s little comfort for ex-O’Brien, who’s shuffled off his mortal coil and joined the bleedin’ choir invisible. That O’Brien never sees his family again. The poor stiff doesn’t even get a memorial plaque for saving the station. Rough.

Mentally Imprisoned on Argratha for 20 Years

" hard time ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Hard Time"

O’Brien is arrested and implanted with the memories of a savage 20-year prison incarceration. Back on the station, Miles returns to his normal routine but has difficulty coping. O’Brien’s haunted by the memories of his cellmate, Ee’Char, whom he killed in cold blood. Overwhelmed by guilt and rage, Miles snaps at his friends, assaults Quark, and nearly hits his daughter, Molly. Terrified of the man he’s become, the chief swipes a phaser from a weapons locker and presses it to the soft flesh beneath his trembling chin. With his eyes clenched shut, Miles is ready to end his life.

Julian, who’s been keeping a keen eye on his friend, finds and convinces Miles to put the phaser down and get help. O’Brien returns to his family and embraces Molly. All of this for showing a little interest in Argrathi technology. The chief may want to reconsider ever leaving his quarters again.

Stuck with a Pah-Wraith Possessed Wife

" the assignment ," star trek: deep space nine.

"The Assignment"

O’Brien’s wife Keiko returns from Bajor’s famed Fire Caves with a stowaway — she’s been possessed by a Pah-wraith, the ancient nemeses of the wormhole aliens that the Bajorans' refer to as the Prophets.

The Pah-wraith commandeering Mrs. O’Brien is hellbent on killing the wormhole aliens. To complete its mission, it gives Miles a detailed list of modifications to make to the station. Any deviation from its plan and the Pah-wraith will kill Keiko. With Keiko held hostage in her own skin, Miles must convince his daughter and friends that everything is normal or risk becoming a widower.

Worse? The chief’s only hope at survival might be Rom.

Marriage is difficult under the best circumstances, but when your significant other is possessed by a Bajoran demon? Somehow playing house with a sadistic spirt seems like just another day for unlucky O’Brien.

Berated by James T. Kirk

" trials and tribble-ations ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Trials and Tribble-ations"

O’Brien travels through time and gets to meet the legendary Captain Kirk, only to be reprimanded by him.

The DS9 crew travel back to 2268, to stop an incognito-Klingon named Arne Darvin from exacting revenge on Kirk with a tribble-time-bomb. In the process, O’Brien and Bashir are swept into a brawl with Klingons onboard Space Station K-7. Every Enterprise crew member involved in the melee (including the two masqueraders from the future) are lined up for a chest-puffed-to-attention dress down from Kirk, who rips into his crew for fighting.

They say never meet your heroes. It’s easy to see why. When pressed directly for an explanation, O’Brien, who’s blushing redder than his 23rd Century velour uniform, is forced to lie to Kirk. While Dax shares a playful shrug and Sisko gets a friendly chat, O’Brien meets Kirk with all the dignity of a pup caught chewing on a shoe.

Invited to a Klingon Bachelor Party

" you are cordially invited ," star trek: deep space nine.

"You Are Cordially Invited"

O’Brien jubilantly accepts an invitation to Worf’s bachelor party only to discover that Klingon and Human bachelor parties are tragically light years apart.

Kal’Hyah is Klingon for "the path of clarity." We can safely assume that some vital information was lost in that translation, because what’s touted as a mental and spiritual journey for the groom-to-be and his closest (or unluckiest) friends, could easily be a deleted scene from a Saw movie. While on the path to kal’Hyah , O’Brien endures searing heat, starvation, and an itinerary that includes ample bouts of hanging from a ceiling above hot coals.

At the end of Worf’s four-day "bachelor party," the chief’s only solace is beating the groom senseless with a ma’Staka , the traditional Klingon wedding-bludgeon. When measured against Dax’s wild bachelorette party, it’s hard to see Worf’s stag party as anything but abject suffering. O’Brien better hope Worf never remarries.

Donnie-Brasco-ed by Starfleet Intelligence

" honor among thieves ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Honor Among Thieves"

Enlisted by Starfleet Intelligence to infiltrate a crime ring known as the Orion Syndicate, the success of O’Brien’s mission means the death of the mobster he’s befriended.

The Orion Syndicate rules Farius Prime, but among its operatives, in a seedy bar, waits Miles O’Brien. Posing as a "fix-it-man" named Connelly, O’Brien befriends a low-level mob man named Liam Bilby. The two quickly strike up a friendship and trust that O’Brien uses to gain access to the criminal organization. Because Bilby vouched for him, when O’Brien’s true identity is revealed, Bilby is destined for death. Miles can’t help him and must live with the consequences of his undercover mission.

Undercover work is hard enough without the added stress of an impossible, damned if you do, damned if you don’t success. Even when he wins, O’Brien loses!

Forced to Raise a Feral Teenager

" time’s orphan ," star trek: deep space nine.

"Time's Orphan"

During a picnic on Golana, O’Brien’s daughter Molly falls through a time portal and is marooned in the past. When the chief beams Molly back, she’s lived alone for a brutal decade and emerges a wild, barbaric teenager.

The teenage years are considered the most difficult for parents, so naturally, Miles’ first brush with the experience comes as dad to a manic, bite-happy teen who sleeps in trees. Without a copy of, What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Feral Teenager on hand, the O’Briens do the best they can to re-assimilate Molly to life on Deep Space 9 . Then an epic meltdown and rampage at Quark’s sends Molly to the DS9 equivalent of juvie — Odo’s holding cells.

While returning feral Molly to the time portal brings eight year-old Molly home, one can’t help but wonder why even an O’Brien family picnic has to be an agonizing affair.

24th Century Martyr?

" what you left behind ," star trek: deep space nine.

"What You Left Behind"

Miles O’Brien, a man who plays darts against a genetically-enhanced opponent, and whose idea of a peaceful retirement is returning to Earth to teach. So, at the very least, he’s a glutton for punishment. But is he unlucky? Now that we’ve strolled through the daily trauma of the chief’s life in Starfleet, what’s the verdict? Does Miles live a charmed or cursed life?

In examining only the valleys of O’Brien’s life, it’s easy to get lost in shadows, but when taken with the peaks, we get a fuller portrait of a life that isn’t so unlucky after all. While he surely suffers more than your average Starfleet officer, O’Brien’s achieved something that’s eluded many of Starfleet’s finest — Miles found time for a family. A caring wife and two beautiful children whose love and unwavering support pull him through each undeserved hardship. Isn’t that worth a little blood, tears, and pulled teeth?

Indeed, we’re fortunate to have lucky O’Brien. In the chief, we have a flawed man who suffers, goes home to the waiting arms of his family, and then wakes up and does it all again. A 24th entury reflection for many of us 21st entury chumps. That’s a comforting notion, to know that even in Gene Roddenberry’s perfect future society, there’s room for imperfect blokes like Miles Edward O’Brien — and us.

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This article was originally published on April 24, 2020.

Andy Bray (he/his) is a husband, father, and co-author of the memoirs, Making Fake Star Trek and Making More Fake Star Trek. He developed his unhealthy obsession with Star Trek as an embryo. In his twenties, he acted in an official Star Trek production no one’s ever heard of: “Spock’s Brain,” the stage play. After cultivating a collection of obscure credits on his IMDB page, Andy now spends his days writing and embarrassing his children. You can follow him on Instagram at @AndyBrayAuthor and on Twitter at @TheAndyBray. 

Lower Decks Made Deep Space Nine's Miles O'Brien The Most Important Man In Star Trek History

In the third episode of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," titled "Temporal Edict" (August 20, 2020), the lower-ranking protagonists reveal a secret to each other that allows them to slack off as much as possible. It seems that whenever a superior officer tells them to do a task, the ensigns announce that it will take them four hours to complete. The task, however, usually only takes about 30 minutes. The remaining three-and-a-half hours can be used to relax. The ensigns refer to their cleverly built-in shirking as "buffer time." It seems "buffer time" is common among all the ensigns in Starfleet.

Sadly, through a slip of the tongue, buffer time is brought to the attention of the captain, Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis). Outraged by the slacking, she immediately implements an official countdown clock on her ensigns, forcing them to remain busy at all times. Tasks on the U.S.S. Cerritos are soon getting completed at a rapid rate, but the ensigns all begin to burn out.

When a crisis strikes, the ensigns are all too tired to be able to deal with it. It's the goody-goody, protocol-obsessed Ensign Boimler (Jack Quaid) who, panicked, suggests that relaxation time be worked back into the ensigns' schedules to allow them to stay alert. Captain Freeman agrees and announces how impressed she is by Boimler's strategized slacking off. Boimler, of course, always wanted to be seen as active and capable, so he is appalled that this is his legacy — one that is later cemented by an epilogue set in a classroom in the distant future. It seems, long after his death, statues will be erected in Boimler's honor, praising him as the laziest man in Starfleet.

Then, in a cute twist, the distant-future teacher states that Miles O'Brien is the most important man in history.

Miles O'Brien

Miles O'Brien (Colm Meany) appeared on multiple episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as a mere go-to transporter chief who beamed the main cast up and down from away missions. He was only a supporting character but was allowed more and more screen time as the show progressed. By the show's fourth season, Chief O'Brien was given entire subplots. All told, Chief O'Brien appeared in 52 episodes of "Next Generation." He was such a popular character that Miles eventually became the chief engineer on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," on which he would appear in 173 episodes. At the end of "Deep Space Nine," O'Brien had fine-tuned his engineering skills to such a degree that he was offered a professorship at Starfleet Academy.

Note that "Chief" is not an officer's rank. As an engineer, O'Brien is merely an enlisted man. He was on the Enterprise-D to repair machines and tinker with transporters. By the end of his run, he was a professor.

The makers of "Lower Decks," of course, noted the character's arc and wanted to pay it homage in "Temporal Edict." Indeed, the show's creator  Mike McMahan told StarTrek.com  in an interview that he felt O'Brien was actually one of the most important characters in the franchise, having shared a kinship with all ensigns everywhere. In his words:

"[W]hy did we put that statue at the end of the episode? If you ask the common fan on the street to name the most important 'Star Trek' character, they'll probably say Picard or Kirk. Us Lower Deckers would like to offer a different answer. [...] Chief O'Brien is the original Lower Decker, moving from an enlisted crewman all the way to professor of engineering at Starfleet Academy."

The most fully realized character in Star Trek

Chief O'Brien, in short, is the ultimate working stiff. He applied himself to the task in front of him and never displayed any ambition. Then, eventually, he was actually rewarded for his hard work. He rose in the ranks of Starfleet and got a cushy gig back on Earth. Additionally, the O'Briens were the only functional long-term romantic relationship depicted on "Star Trek," at least until the end of "Star Trek: Picard."

Mike McMahan saw everything that happened to O'Brien on "Star Trek" from 1987 to 1999 and saw a whole life. He wanted to make sure it was recognized within "Trek" canon as well. Hence, in the distant future, O'Brien will be given statues and endless admiration from all civilizations. McMahan explained:

"We experienced his full life in Starfleet — his marriage and relationship with Keiko, being a dad and moving up in rank and location, the dynamic between enlisted crew and officers through his friendships with Bashir and Sisko, and the trauma he experienced being a veteran of the Federation-Cardassian War. One could argue Miles O'Brien is the most fully realized character in 'Star Trek,' and we ask, no, demand he be given a statue."

For McMahan, this was all obvious, and he understood that other long-term Trekkies would agree. Was he a captain or a pseudo-Messiah? No, but he was a complete human being, and that's not nothing. "[T]hose of us who spent years watching him grow across two television series know he is, without a doubt, the most important person in Starfleet History," McMahan said. And really, there's not much to contradict that. Raise a glass of synthale to the working stiffs of "Star Trek." They deserve a toast.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

The wounded (1991), colm meaney: chief miles o'brien, photos .

Quotes 

Chief Miles O'Brien : [about his experiences on Setlik III]  The only people left alive... were in an outlying district of the settlement. I was sent there with a squad to reinforce them. Cardassians were advancing on us, moving through the streets, destroying, killing... I was with a group of women and children when two Cardassian soldiers burst in. I stunned one of them. The other one jumped me. We struggled. One of the women threw me a phaser, and I fired.

[he takes a sip from his drink] 

Chief Miles O'Brien : The phaser was set at maximum. The man just... just incinerated, there before my eyes. I'd never killed anything before. When I was a kid, I'd... I'd worry about swatting a mosquito.

[he gets up] 

Chief Miles O'Brien : It's not you I hate, Cardassian. I hate what I became *because* of you.

Chief Miles O'Brien , Capt. Benjamin Maxwell : [singing]  The minstrel boy to the war is gone / In the ranks of death you will find him. His father's sword he hath girded on / And his wild harp slung behind him. Land of song, said the warrior bard / Tho' all the world betrays thee. One sword at least thy rights shall guard /

[only O'Brien finishes song] 

Chief Miles O'Brien , Capt. Benjamin Maxwell : One faithful harp shall praise thee.

Capt. Benjamin Maxwell : I'm not going to win this one, am I Miles?

Chief Miles O'Brien : No, sir.

Chief Miles O'Brien : [about dinner]  What... Wh-what is it?

Keiko O'Brien : Kelp buds, plankton loaf and sea berries.

Chief Miles O'Brien : Sweetheart... I'm not a fish.

Capt. Benjamin Maxwell : What the hell has happened to this war?

Chief Miles O'Brien : Sir... There is - no - war. The war is over!

Capt. Benjamin Maxwell : You're wrong. The Cardassians live to make war.

Chief Miles O'Brien : That's what everybody thinks about the enemy. That's probably what they think about *us*.

Capt. Benjamin Maxwell : We're not the same at all. We do not *start* wars. We do not make surprise attacks on manned outposts. We do not butcher women and children in their homes! Children... who never had the chance to grow up.

Glin Daro : We're going to your "Ten Forward." Will you join us?

Chief Miles O'Brien : If my Commander tells me to discuss the transporter with you, I will. If Captain Picard orders me to tell you everything I know about Ben Maxwell, I will. But whom I choose to spend my free time with, that's my business.

Chief Miles O'Brien : [about Maxwell]  I'd just like to say, sir... he was a good man. What he did was terribly wrong, I know that now. But I'm still proud to have served with him.

Capt. Benjamin Maxwell : O'Brien has the ability to size up a situation instantly, and come up with options to fit all contingencies. Remarkable!

Chief Miles O'Brien : Well, if that's true, I learned it from you, sir.

Capt. Benjamin Maxwell : [laughs]  But you got that silver tongue by kissing the stone, right?

Chief Miles O'Brien : [singing]  The minstrel boy to the war has gone / In the ranks of death you will find him.

Chief Miles O'Brien , Capt. Benjamin Maxwell : [joint]  His father's sword he hath girded on / And his wild harp slung behind him. "Land of song", said the warrior bard / "Tho' all the world betrays thee. One sword at least thy rights shall guard...

Chief Miles O'Brien : ...One faithful harp shall praise thee."

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : You don't care for the Cardassians?

Chief Miles O'Brien : I like them fine. It's just... Well, I know them. You learn to watch your back when you're around those people.

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Colm Meaney Weighs In On O'Brien Coming To Star Trek: Picard - Exclusive

The first season of  Star Trek: Picard brought back a number of characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation , including William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), and Data (Brent Spiner), along with notable Borg guest star Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco) and even Star Trek: Voyager crew member Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). So it stands to reason that more characters from previous Trek shows could potentially join Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) for the series'  upcoming second season , right?

Seven of Nine is already confirmed to come back, and  Whoopi Goldberg is slated to return as Guinan, but other callbacks to The Next Generation , Voyager, and/or  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine remain under wraps for now. One character fans would like to see in  Star Trek: Picard season 2  is Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), whose illustrious career included a stint as both the Enterprise 's Transporter Chief on The Next Generation and Chief of Operations for the title space station on Deep Space Nine .

When  Looper asked in an exclusive interview with Colm Meaney whether there have been any discussions yet about O'Brien appearing on  Picard , the actor gave an honest answer: "There's no talking that I'm aware of, no." As for whether he'd be interested in returning as the character, Meaney said, "If there's a good and valid reason for him to pop up, and it makes dramatic sense and all that, yeah."

Chief O'Brien holds a notable distinction in Star Trek history

Chief O'Brien made his debut in the very first episode of Star Trek:  The Next Generation , entitled "Encounter at Farpoint," although his actual name wasn't given until the season 2 entry "Unnatural Selection." His character was developed further over subsequent seasons, with O'Brien appearing in more than 50 Next Generation episodes until he moved over to Deep Space Nine , where he was a regular cast member for the entire 176-episode run of the series. He closed out his Star Trek involvement to date on the DS9 series finale "What You Leave Behind."

Along with Lieutenant Worf (Michael Dorn), O'Brien is one of just two characters who joined the Deep Space Nine  cast from The Next Generation. His 225 total appearances across both shows are the  second most in the entire Star Trek franchise , behind only Worf himself, who's also shown up in several of the movies.

It's an impressive feat, but Meaney admitted that he has "no idea" what to say about the milestone. "I was only ever recurring in Next Generation . I wasn't a regular on the show, so I only became a regular when I went over to DS9 , which was '92 to '99, I think. So I only did seven years really as a regular, the same as anybody. All those shows did seven years, pretty much," he explained. "So I don't think of it that way. I probably did a lot of Next Generation , a number of episodes certainly, but always as a guest."

Meaney has residences in both Los Angeles and Spain, and he's spent the last year in the latter country to ride out the pandemic — but as a result, he hasn't gotten a chance to watch any episodes from the first season of Star Trek:  Picard yet. Still, he told  Looper he'd be willing to board the series if the chance arises.

"If there was an opportunity for O'Brien to show up, sure," he affirmed. "I'd be happy. I'm very fond of Patrick. It would be lovely to see him, lovely to work with him again. But no, there's no talking [about it] that I'm aware of."

Meaney is currently promoting  his latest movie  Pixie , which is out in theaters and on digital and on demand now. The second season of Picard is tentatively slated to premiere sometime later this year.

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Yellow Uniform, Blue Collar: Celebrating Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Chief O’Brien

When you think Star Trek there are a few words that instantly come to mind. “Kirk” and “Spock” are far and away the most well-known characters in the series—and younger generations of fans might answer The Next Generation ’s Captain Picard or even Q as some of the most iconic figures the franchise has churned out. Regardless of which Trek show is your jumping-on point, though, “Miles O’Brien” is rarely the answer that comes to mind when we think about Star Trek ’s most beloved characters—and that’s an utter travesty. Though he may not be the most well-known, or even the most well-liked character on the series in which he appeared, Miles O’Brien is one of Star Trek ’s most fascinating and under-appreciated characters.

Brought to life by Colm Meaney (who celebrates his 68th birthday today!), Miles O’Brien was first introduced as a the transporter chief on Star Trek: The Next Generation —a supporting player who was perhaps most memorable to viewers at the time for his Irish accent and friendship with Commander Data. Franchise higher-ups picked up on his potential, though, and after a successful tenure on TNG , O’Brien made the jump to a main cast member on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , where he truly blossomed into a remarkable figure in the Trek universe, building off of already established story arcs and weaving in new character threads.

Admittedly, if the name Miles O’Brien didn’t ring a bell for you right off the bat, it’s for good reason. Even though he’s the second most long-running character in Trek history (behind Michael Dorn’s Worf), O’Brien’s character is, for lack of a better word, engineered to play second fiddle. While some Trek characters are beloved for their quirky-one liners, memorable physical attributes, or extraordinary abilities, O’Brien is a very deliberate everyman—a sort of audience stand-in who’s at his best when he’s playing off of other, bigger characters.

It’s easy to draw the eye when you’re the center of attention, but to be a standout as a supporting player takes a special gift—and that’s exactly the prowess Colm Meaney holds as an actor on TNG and DS9 . His most memorable relationship is part of a dynamic duo with Alexander Siddig’s bright-eyed doctor Julian Bashir, with whom O’Brien developed a begruding friendship. While we laugh and fondly role our eyes at Julian Bashir’s over-eager antics, it’s O’Brien’s annoyance and infuriation that makes the comedic beats in those scenes work. He’s a much-needed grounding presence when some of the more absentminded characters babble off into monologues of techno jargon—O’Brien is always there with a baffled, unimpressed look or a frustrated comment to level out the often overwhelming amount of sheer sci-fi in the later seasons of Deep Space Nine .

What’s more, O’Brien’s relatability extends beyond just playing straight man to goofy characters in comedic bits—he’s also frequently used by the writers’ as a vehicle to explore more grounded, blue collar themes and subjects that don’t always seem to go hand-in-hand with spaces battles and Vulcan mind melds. One particularly memorable (and trailblazing) episode is is DS9 4×16 “Bar Association,” where O’Brien inspires the Ferengei Rom to form a union and go on strike after becoming fed up with the inhumane working conditions at his brother Quark’s bar.

It’s a silly episode, sure, but Star Trek excels in using silliness and sci-fi to tackle real-life issues, and “Bar Association” is an excellent example of one of the rarer times that Trek tackles are more blue-collar subject: unions. Though Star Trek is beloved and iconic for its often deeply intellectual and philosophical storytelling, it’s not always the most accessible show—and through O’Brien, the franchise had a way to express more salt-of-the-Earth ideas in a far-flung sci-fi setting.

O’Brien’s down-to-Earth nature and more traditional sensibilities also made him the perfect conduit through which to explore one of the franchise’s touchier subjects: bigotry. Trek began as a picture of a Utopian world where hatred and bigotry was a thing of the past, but as the franchise blossomed and grew, it found ways to address those ideas without losing the integrity of the franchise. In the early days of The Original Series , it was most frequently through alien cultures that audiences saw depictions of bigotry and closed-mindedness, but with the introduction of Miles O’Brien, the franchise was able to tackle the subject in a new way—through the lens of a protagonist.

It’s rare to see any franchise willing to place bigotry in its heroes front and center, but that’s exactly what Star Trek was able to do with Miles O’Brien—explore hatred and closed-mindedness through a well-loved protagonist in a way that both honored the character and explored the issue with previously unexplored thoughtfulness and depth. It’s an unfortunate truth that even our closest friends and loved ones are all closed-minded in some capacity—but with O’Brien, Star Trek was able to explore where hatred comes from on a smaller, more personal scale.

The Next Generation 4×12, “The Wounded,” is the first episode in which O’Brien’s character is explored significantly—and, consequently, is also the first episode where we learn of his resentment towards the Cardassian race. The episode revealed that O’Brien was stationed at a Federation outpost which the Cardassian military mistakenly believed was harboring a secret Federation military base that would launch an attack on Cardassia. As such, the Cardassians launched their own pre-emptive counterstrike, resulting in the slaughter of virtually the entire civilian population of the outpost.

From then on, O’Brien harbored intense hatred of all Cardassians as a whole—a personal prejudice which would go on to be explored further in Deep Space Nine episodes “Tribunal,” “Paradise,” and “Empok Nor.” What’s fascinating about how the show handles O’Brien’s hatred towards Cardassians is that it both empathetically acknowledges the root of his bias and also condemns the cruelty of judging and entire race by the actions of a select few. O’Brien is, by all accounts, a lovable character—a good soldier, a better crewmate, and a loyal friend. He’s commended by both his captains and his fellow officers—yet he has a very clear and very significant personal flaw that haunts his service in Starfleet, and one that’s acknowledge in a meaningful way by the show.

O’Brien isn’t perfect—he knows it, the audience knows it, the other characters know it—and that’s what makes him such an effective character. He’s told off by his wife Keiko for making bigoted comments about the Cardassian people—the show’s way of reminding audiences that even the fictional hereos we see on TV are flawed, human figures. What’s more is that the show takes it a step further—having O’Brien himself acknowledge his bigotry and where it comes from. In one of The Next Generation ’s best lines, he tells a Cardassian soldier that “It’s not you I hate, Cardassian; I hate what I became because of you.”

Chief Miles O’Brien isn’t a particularly glitzy character, nor (at face value) is he an enviable role as an actor. But in Colm Meaney’s honest, grounded performance, Star Trek was able to explore a number of sticky subjects that would have failed miserably in the hands of a less capable actor and writing staff. From his involvement in unions to his wartime PTSD to his hatred towards Cardassians, O’Brien became a symbol of how Star Trek could and should explore the flaws within the Federation just as it explored bigotry in alien cultures. Just because you have flaws, that doesn’t make you any less of a hero.

(featured image: CBS)

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Molly O'Brien

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Molly O'Brien was the Human daughter of Keiko and Miles O'Brien .

• 1 Birth and life on the Enterprise
• 2 On Deep Space 9
• 3.1 Appearances
• 3.2 Background information
• 3.3 Apocrypha
• 3.4 External links

Birth and life on the Enterprise [ ]

Molly as an infant in 2368

Molly was born aboard the USS Enterprise -D in 2368 (around stardate 45156.1). Because the Enterprise was struck by quantum filaments that rendered various parts of the ship inaccessible to the rest of the crew, Keiko was trapped in the ship's Ten Forward lounge when she went into labor, and Molly was delivered by Worf . The O'Briens seemed to have been preparing for the birth of a boy , which made the female child surprising. ( TNG : " Disaster ")

As a baby, Molly was said to be the spitting image of her father. ( TNG : " Disaster ", " The Game ")

Later that year, Molly, together with her mother Keiko, was one of the crewmembers taken hostage by Ux-Mal criminals that had taken over the bodies of Data , Deanna Troi and her father, Miles O'Brien. Molly didn't stop crying and so caused some tension amongst the kidnappers. When the kidnappers left Ten Forward with some of the hostages, including Keiko, she asked the kidnappers for permission to leave Molly in the care of Diana Giddings . The family was later re-united in sickbay after Miles O'Brien had been freed from the influence of the aliens . ( TNG : " Power Play ")

Molly in 2369

In 2369 , Keiko visited the planet Marlonia where she found a specimen of Draebidium calimus , which she brought back to the Enterprise on her return trip. Moments before docking on the Enterprise , their shuttlecraft , Fermi , became enveloped in an energy field , and their subsequent emergency transport caused her body to be changed into a twelve year old. While Keiko's body was still older and larger than Molly, the difference was noticeably less, and Molly had trouble adjusting to this change, refusing to acknowledge Keiko as her mother. This noticeably upset Keiko and probably motivated her decision to assume her previous age, so that she would be accepted as a mother to her again. She was eventually returned to her normal state and was accepted as a mother by Molly again. ( TNG : " Rascals ")

On Deep Space 9 [ ]

Molly on DS9 in 2371

Later that year, Molly moved aboard Deep Space 9 , as her father got a new assignment there. ( DS9 : " A Man Alone ")

Miles often told Molly bedtime stories. One of her favorites was " Rumpelstiltskin ". However, later Rumpelstiltskin appeared in Molly's room and wreaked havoc on the station until the crew realized he was a figment of their imagination . Before being defeated, Rumpelstiltskin offered to save the station in exchange for Molly. Miles was reluctant, but then the crew made a breakthrough and the O'Briens were allowed to keep their daughter. ( DS9 : " If Wishes Were Horses ")

Later that year, when Kai Opaka visited the station and came in contact with Miles O'Brien, she knew that he had a daughter and gave him a pendant to give to Molly. ( DS9 : " Battle Lines ")

Molly temporarily left the station with her mother for her safety. She returned shortly after. ( DS9 : " The Siege ")

She attended a day care on the station. When Miles O'Brien , believing he was her father, offered to drop her off at day care, Keiko said she was taking her to school with her so that Molly could experience a Vulcan program that taught basic problem-solving skills. ( DS9 : " Whispers ")

Molly went with her mother on an agrobiology expedition that lasted several months. When she returned, Miles was eager to spend the two days he had with her, but Molly wasn't feeling well, thanks to the large amount of candy that was given to her by Ambassador Lwaxana Troi as they traveled together aboard a shuttle from Bajor . After she was prescribed some medicine by Doctor Bashir she fell asleep . Later, she said she felt "lots better." The day after, Molly again left with Keiko for half a year more of the trip. Miles told her to take care of her mother for him. ( DS9 : " Fascination ")

Some six months later Molly, along with her mother, returned to Deep Space 9 from Bajor where she'd acquired a Bajoran doll named Lupi . Molly was the one to tell her father that Keiko was pregnant again, this time with her little brother. Miles was looking forward to spending a lot of time with Molly, and tried to teach her how to play darts . While Molly had a good aim, she grew bored with it and opted to color instead. When she drew a pony , Miles asked if it had a name, but Molly said she "didn't know." ( DS9 : " Accession ")

Molly loved to color, and often did so after dinner. She was, however, in charge of putting her plate in the replicator . She attempted to show Miles one of her drawings, while he was dealing with the experience of heaving two decades of time in prison 'imprinted' on his memory for a crime he hadn't committed, but he got irritated and lashed out at her. She began to cry, and when Miles tried to apologize, Molly was too upset to listen. However, she later forgave her father, and welcomed him home with a hug and a "Daddy's home!" ( DS9 : " Hard Time ")

In 2373 , Keiko went on a five-day trip to Bajor . During this time, Miles was to care for her plants. However, in a combined effort with Julian, he managed to kill a species of plant. Molly left her room and saw the dead plants, and warned her father that he would be in trouble. When Miles suggested that Molly be the one to break the news to her mother, she responded, "Not me!" After Keiko returned, she threw Miles a surprise birthday party . Molly was present, and wore her new purple shoes just for her father. She also contacted her father at work to say hello. ( DS9 : " The Assignment ")

Molly aged ten years before Miles could transport her back to the present

In 2374 , while on a picnic with her parents on a nearby planet named Golana , the eight year old Molly fell through an energy vortex. When the crew arrived to help, it was determined that she fell through a time portal 300 years into the past when the planet was uninhabited. When Chief O'Brien reactivated the portal, the calculations were off by ten years, and an eighteen-year-old version of Molly appeared.

Having survived without Human contact for ten years, she had become feral and had a difficult time adjusting to life on Deep Space 9. Molly was homesick for the open fields and forests of Golana, and the O'Briens tried to recreate the environment that Molly was used to in a converted cargo bay. At first she made progress, but later became unmanageable. A Federation Magistrate wanted to commit her to a special care center . The O'Briens decided to return her to the planet and send her back through the portal knowing that they would never see her again. However, when Molly went back, a flaw in the O'Briens' programming of the portal meant that she arrived in the past mere minutes after her eight-year-old self, subsequently sending her past self back through the portal to be reunited with her family. ( DS9 : " Time's Orphan ")

Molly's younger brother, Kirayoshi ( nicknamed "Yoshi"), was born in 2373 , having been carried by Kira Nerys after a shuttle accident. During this time, Molly sometimes referred to Kira as her aunt . ( DS9 : " Body Parts ", " The Begotten ")

Before the Dominion takeover of Deep Space 9 and the start of the Dominion War , Keiko took Molly and Yoshi to Earth for their safety. ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ")

Molly in 2375

Both Molly and Kirayoshi moved back to Earth with their parents in late 2375, when Miles accepted a position as Professor of Engineering at Starfleet Academy . Initially, Molly wondered if they were not going back to Earth, because Miles had not informed Julian Bashir , his best friend. However, she was told that they were indeed going. Molly also showed interest in her father's model of the Alamo . When Miles warned her not to touch it, she retorted that she let him play with her toys. ( DS9 : " What You Leave Behind ")

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Disaster "
• " Power Play "
• " Rascals "
• " A Man Alone "
• " If Wishes Were Horses "
• " The Siege "
• " Whispers "
• " Fascination "
• " Accession "
• " Hard Time "
• " Body Parts "
• " The Assignment "
• " Time's Orphan "
• " What You Leave Behind "

Background information [ ]

Molly O'Brien was portrayed by Hana Hatae ; the adult version of Molly was played by Michelle Krusiec , while the infant Molly was played by Angela and Angelica Tedeski . (This was done as lookalikes are often used to lengthen or ensure the best filming availability for both infants and animals onscreen.) Hatae was born in 1988, but the birth of Molly and her reappearances as a baby were filmed in 1991 and 1992.

Molly's first name was a tribute to two people: former Star Trek production staffer Molly Rennie , and Molly Berman, the daughter of executive producer Rick Berman . ( Star Trek Chronology ; Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 97))

Molly O'Brien was mainly seen on screen as a baby during the fifth season of TNG but inexplicably was old enough to talk when re-cast with Hana Hatae during the sixth season. Later that year, Benjamin Sisko stated that she was three years old in "The Nagus". By the second season of DS9 –which aired simultaneously with the seventh season of TNG –her age was explicitly stated to be four and, towards the end of the season, five. ( DS9 : " Cardassians ", " Crossover ") By the sixth season of DS9, Kira Nerys says she is eight years old. (" Time's Orphan "). Molly's age appears to be an example of a continuity error known as " Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome ".

Apocrypha [ ]

The novelization of Unification established Molly's full name as Molly Miyaki Worf O'Brien.

Molly and Keiko play a part in the novelization of Emissary , with Keiko briefly losing track of Molly during the Cardassian attack on the station until she is found by Odo , Keiko warmly thanking Odo for his help despite Odo's discomfort.

In the documentary What We Left Behind , Molly has attended and graduated from Starfleet Academy and is a Starfleet officer by 2395 .

External links [ ]

• Molly O'Brien at StarTrek.com
• Molly O'Brien at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Molly O'Brien at Wikipedia
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Best Crossover Character Changed the Show Forever

It also results in some of the best relationships within the Star Trek universe.

The Big Picture

• Worf's arrival on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine deepened the exploration of Klingon culture and his personal identity.
• Worf's relationship with Jadzia adds depth to his character and highlights his humanity.
• Worf's struggles adjusting to life on DS9 test his loyalty, friendship, and honor.

Worf, son of Mogh ( Michael Dorn ), is a beloved character initially introduced to audiences in Star Trek: The Next Generation , known for his battle-hardened stoicism and the comedic relief that his upright and rigid demeanor brings. Worf crossed over to Deep Space Nine in the fourth season, much to the delight of Star Trek fans. Initially, his arrival on DS9 allowed the show to explore the Klingon Empire in-depth by extrapolating his inner conflict between his roles as a dutiful Federation Officer and a fierce Warrior of The Klingon Empire.

However, Worf's presence on DS9 would also forever change the series , allowing a deep exploration of the machinations of the Empire through its saga with Gowron ( Robert O'Reilly ). His relationship with Jadzia ( Terry Farrell ), a Trill learned in the ways of the Klingon, would help highlight Worf's humanity, act as a romantic counterpoint to his rigidity, and provide context for the curious observer. Jadzia and Worf are similar in some respects, as they both have multiple identities to reconcile. Jadzia would be the first non-Klingon woman that Worf could be with in the traditional sense, giving a vulnerability to the character that would carry on throughout the series and provide a deep richness to DS9 that helped cement it as a critical series in the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy.

What Is 'Deep Space Nine' About?

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the fourth series in the Star Trek universe, created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller . Deep Space Nine ran from January 3, 1993, to June 2, 1999, for 176 episodes over seven seasons. It was the first Star Trek series to be created without the involvement of series founder Gene Roddenberry , the first to be set on a space station, and the first to boast a Black captain in Benjamin Sisko ( Avery Brooks ). The series follows the exploits of a hybrid crew of Starfleet and Bajoran officers on the titular space station, in orbit above Bajor and adjacent to a wormhole leading to the distant and mysterious Gamma Quadrant. Starfleet has come to oversee the transfer of power from the oppressive Cardassian Empire to the Bajoran civilian government, which has been under the heel of the Cardassians for some time.

The series is much darker than its predecessors . At one point, Major Kira Nerys ( Nana Visitor ), the first officer of Deep Space Nine, is a Cardassian prisoner of war, and even Sisko himself saw his wife killed during a Borg raid on a space station. The currents of trauma that run through the ensemble invoke feelings of loneliness, desperation, and fear, which the characters must overcome in typical Starfleet fashion. The well-roundedness of the characters makes them very compelling and adds a layer of sophistication to the series, which, while present in its predecessors, came into its own during DS9 and became a recurring theme on the show.

One particular theme that runs through Deep Space Nine is the duty to one's station and the duty one has towards one's individuality. This exploration of where duty and individuality meet is present in many characters. Take Odo ( René Auberjonois ) , for example, a Founder separated from his people and planted firmly in the camp of the Alpha Quadrant. In contrast, his people wage war on the planets of the Federation. Odo must choose between his people, Starfleet, and his cultural identity and individuality. So, too, must Kira, whose hatred for the Cardassian is a defining feature of her character, and who has to learn to overcome this so that it does not interfere with her duties to Starfleet. This war between the Founders, their allies, and Starfleet is the primary conflict in the series . They are a formidable race of shapeshifters backed by the Jem'Hadar, a warrior race of beings whose soul existence is to crush opposition. They are a tough, genocidal race, terrifying in their methods and fearsome enough to give the Klingon Empire a run for its money.

Worf's Arrival Changed 'Deep Space Nine' for the Better

Worf joins the crew of Deep Space Nine during the feature-long premiere episode of Season 4 in "The Way Of The Warrior." At the beginning of the episode, the Klingon Empire, led by Gowron, shows up at the space station to aid them in their fight against the Founders. This is a serious boon for Starfleet and the Alpha Quadrant, as the Klingons are such fearsome and brutal fighters that they may tip the balance of power throughout the war. But they push things too far, illegally searching Bajoran ships and starting a war with the Cardassians, whom they believe to be comprised of the shapeshifting Founders. Worf is brought to gather intelligence by reaching out to the Empire. He is very close with Gowron, who has absolved Worf and his family of their generations-long disgrace. Worf learns of the Klingon plans to invade Cardassia and must choose between fulfilling his duties to Starfleet or joining Gowron in battle. Worf's choice to maintain his honor by remaining in Starfleet is a moral choice that tests his individuality against those of his bloodthirsty cultural traditions.

Throughout the series, Worf meets Deep Space Nine's chief science officer, Jadzia Dax, a Trill and the host of the symbiont that once belonged to Curzon Dax . Due to the Dax symbiont carrying all its previous hosts' memories, Jadzia can tap into Curzon's familiarity with Klingon customs. The characters are exciting foils to one another. Worf is glib, stoic, and utterly humorless, while Jadzia is more irreverent and open, owing to the many past lives she recalls through her symbiont. However, the two also have more in common than one might think ; they are both people who have multiple identities. The critical difference is that Jadzia has reconciled her identities, while Worf remains at odds with his.

Jadzia is the only person aboard Deep Space Nine who can genuinely understand Worf , and it is this factor that blossoms their innocuous meeting into what may be one of the most fantastic love stories ever told in the Star Trek universe. Their connection is marvelous as their conflicting natures are both points of contention that allow for humorous moments where Jadzia's tenderness assuages the beast within Worf. It is delightful to watch Worf babysit chief operations officer Miles O'Brien's ( Colm Meaney ) daughter, paving the way for the couple to conceive a child of their own — which is made all the more tragic by Jadzia's murder and Worf's spiral into despair.

Worf Had a Difficult Time Adjusting To Life On Deep Space Nine

Initially, Worf has his former Enterprise crewmate O'Brien to help ease his transition into life on the space station. The two were close, and their relationship strengthened on The Next Generation , after Worf helped O'Brien's wife Keiko ( Rosalind Chao ) give birth to their daughter. When Worf joins the crew of DS9, O'Brien is among the first to receive him to help him acclimate — introducing him to Doctor Julian Bashir ( Alexander Siddig ), a rival suitor for Jadzia's affections and eventual boyfriend to Ezri ( Nicole de Boer ), who becomes the host of the Dax symbiote after Jadzia's untimely death.

O'Brien is the only person Worf can genuinely confide in after the death of his wife, and he heartbreakingly confesses to his friend that he fears Jadzia's soul may never make it to Klingon heaven because she hadn't eaten the heart of her enemy after a night of too much blood wine. Worf longs to be with his wife in the afterlife, making Ezri's relationship with Bashir a sore point for the commander. But Worf eventually becomes a friend to Ezri, who, in effect, helps Worf to properly grieve Jadzia's death so that he can move on and step up to be the man that the Klingon Empire needs.

It isn't an easy transition for Worf after he accepts the commission of Special Operations Officer on Deep Space Nine — yet Captain Sisko has incredible foresight when he offers Worf the position. He sees Worf as a profoundly knowledgeable and capable military strategist whose intuition and extensive knowledge of warfare, particularly Klingon warfare, would greatly benefit the station and Starfleet. This position puts Worf in direct opposition to his people and weighs heavily on his mind. By siding with Sisko over Gowron, Worf again sees himself as an outsider among his people . His frustrations are palpable, but he can sublimate these into his work and subsequently earn a place of deep respect in Sisko's heart. It is summed up rather nicely between the two with a hearty handshake when Worf accepts the role of Ambassador to the Klingon homeworld.

Until this point, Worf wants to restore his family's honor, and ironically, he loses it again while pursuing what he believes to be honorable. Here is the show's crux: how far someone is willing to go to do what they believe to be correct. Sisko tests the bounds of his morality while making difficult choices about defeating the Founders. Odo turns his back on his people. On the fringes of the known universe, a brave crew of deeply traumatized heroes will learn exactly that. Worf's crossover on Deep Space Nine marks the point where the series descends into a dark rabbit hole spurned on through the fog of war, but it also results in some of the best character relationships within the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Watch on Paramount+

10 Star Trek Actors Who Were On Criminal Minds

• Star Trek stars found unique roles in Criminal Minds, showcasing their range as actors in the dark crime drama.
• Criminal Minds delves into human depravity while Star Trek celebrates optimism and exploration.
• Many familiar Star Trek faces appeared in Criminal Minds, adding depth and variety to the crime drama's cast of characters.

The Star Trek universe may not have much in common with the world of Criminal Minds , but several Trek stars appeared in the dark crime drama. With its focus on exploration and its optimistic version of the future, Star Trek celebrates the best of humanity. Criminal Minds , on the other hand, explores the depths of human depravity, but still has moments of light as the heroes fight to put the bad guys behind bars. The familiar Star Trek faces on Criminal Minds display their range as actors , often playing characters very different (and significantly more homicidal) from their Trek characters.

With the nature of procedural crime dramas like Criminal Minds , every episode has a cast of characters involved in the crime of the week. Criminal Minds follows a group of FBI agents who work as profilers in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) , and take on cases too complex or far-reaching for local law enforcement to handle. After its premiere in 2005, Criminal Minds became a ratings hit for CBS and remains popular today. Whether they were playing a victim or an unsub (unknown subject) or a member of law enforcement, these 10 Star Trek stars all appeared in at least one episode of Criminal Minds .

Criminal Minds was canceled by CBS in 2020 after its fifteenth season, but was picked up by Paramount+ in 2022 for a sixteenth season as Criminal Minds: Evolution . The seventeenth season began filming in January 2024.

How To Watch All Star Trek TV Shows In Timeline Order

Todd stashwick, captain liam shaw in star trek: picard, star trek: picard.

Cast Orla Brady, Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Jeri Ryan, Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Marina Sirtis, Amanda Plummer, Whoopi Goldberg, Gates McFadden, Todd Stashwick, Santiago Cabrera, Michelle Hurd, John de Lancie, Ed Speleers

Release Date January 23, 2020

Writers Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon

Directors Terry Matalas, Jonathan Frakes

Showrunner Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon

Where To Watch Paramount+

Todd Stashwick's Captain Liam Shaw became a surprise fan-favorite in Star Trek: Picard season 3 , thanks in large part to Stashwick's compelling performance. As Captain of the USS Titan-A, Shaw did things by the book and was none too pleased when Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) pulled his ship into a dangerous rescue mission.

Although Shaw sacrificed himself in Star Trek: Picard season 3's penultimate episode, Picard showrunner Terry Matalas has confirmed the character will return if the proposed spin-off, Star Trek: Legacy, ever becomes a reality.

Todd Stashwick has appeared in numerous genre television shows, including a guest spot on Supernatural and a starring role on Terry Matalas's 12 Monkeys . In Criminal Minds season 9, episode 5, "Route 66," Stashwick plays a robber who abducts his estranged daughter and later becomes a spree killer.

Jeffrey Combs

Shran in star trek: enterprise, weyoun & brunt in star trek: deep space nine, & others, star trek: enterprise.

Cast Dominic Keating, Connor Trinneer, Linda Park, John Billingsley, Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Jeffrey Combs, Anthony Montgomery

Release Date September 26, 2001

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Rick Berman, Manny Coto, Brannon Braga

Showrunner Manny Coto, Brannon Braga

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Cast Terry Farrell, Cirroc Lofton, Rene Auberjonois, Nicole de Boer, Michael Dorn, Andrew Robinson, Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig

Release Date January 3, 1993

Writers Ira Steven Behr, Michael Piller, Ronald D. Moore

Showrunner Ira Steven Behr, Michael Piller

The always versatile Jeffrey Combs has played numerous Star Trek characters across multiple series, and has become one of the franchise's favorite guest stars. Combs appeared in all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise as the Andorian Thy'lek Shran, who sometimes butted heads with Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Combs portrayed every Vorta Weyoun clone, a role created especially for him.

Combs also appeared as a couple of different Ferengi, most notably as Liquidator Brunt on DS9, as well as an unknown alien named Tiron and Tsunkatse coordinator Penk. Combs has had a prolific television career, and he appeared in Criminal Minds season 9, episode 12, "The Black Queen" as serial killer and computer hacker John Nichols.

Jeffrey Combs also provided the voice for the computer AGIMUS in two episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks

Ethan Phillips

Neelix in star trek: voyager, star trek: voyager.

Cast Jennifer Lien, Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo

Release Date May 23, 1995

Showrunner Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Ethan Phillips portrayed Talaxian chef Neelix in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager . Neelix joined the crew of the USS Voyager soon after the ship found itself in the Delta Quadrant , and he acted as a consultant and guide for the unexplored area of space. Neelix's personality contrasted sharply with Security Chief Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ) and the two developed an antagonistic friendship.

Neelix and Tuvok became one of Star Trek's best duos, and Neelix developed into a valuable and versatile member of Voyager's crew. Ethan Phillips has appeared in numerous television shows and films, including several crime procedural dramas. In Criminal Minds season 1, episode 17, "A Real Rain," Phillips portrayed Marvin Doyle, a schizophrenic serial killer who believed himself to be a vigilante.

John Billingsley

Dr. phlox in star trek: enterprise.

In all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise, John Billingsly portrayed Dr. Phlox, the Chief Medical Officer on the Enterprise NX-01 under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). A member of the Denobulan species, Phlox cared deeply about his patients and often used unorthodox methods of treatment to cure their ailments. He kept a menagerie of alien animals in his sickbay to assist in various healing practices.

During his time on the Enterprise, Phlox became good friends with Captain Archer, and Archer often went to Phlox for counseling and advice. Like many television actors, John Billingsly has popped up in numerous crime dramas, including Bones and NCIS: Los Angeles . Billingsley appeared as budding serial killer Hugh Rollins in Criminal Minds season 4, episode 21, "A Shade of Gray."

John Billingsley Interview: TrekTalks 3 & The Future Of Star Trek Enterprise's Dr. Phlox

Wil wheaton, ensign wesley crusher in star trek: the next generation, 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

Writers Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore

Showrunner Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Fresh off of the success of Stand By Me , Wil Wheaton joined the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the show's first season as the young Wesley Crusher. As the son of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), Wesley had more freedom on the USS Enterprise-D than most children. Wes was a bit of a child prodigy and often helped the Enterprise crew find solutions when the ship encountered problems.

Wesley left TNG in the show's fourth season to attend Starfleet Academy but later dropped out to join the enigmatic Traveler (Eric Menyuk) on his journeys throughout time and space. Wheaton has since become a fixture of the Star Trek franchise, hosting the official Star Trek aftershow, The Ready Room . In a very atypical role for Wheaton, he portrayed a psychopathic serial killer named Floyd Hansen in Criminal Minds season 4, episode 4, "Paradise."

Wil Wheaton briefly reprised the role of Wesley Crusher as a Traveler in the Star Trek: Picard season 2 finale.

Commander Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager

Lieutenant Tuvok served as the Chief of Security of the USS Voyager for all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager . As a Vulcan, Tuvok often served as the logical voice of reason on Voyager, and he was one of Captain Kathryn Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) most trusted advisors. Tuvok and Janeway were also close personal friends, who had met several years prior to the Vulcan's assignment on Voyager.

Tim Russ is no stranger to police procedurals, having appeared in episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent and NCIS , among others. One of the few actors on this list who didn't portray a suspect in Criminal Minds , Tim Russ appeared in season 13, episode 2, "To a Better Place," as Agent Lawrence. Lawrence was one of the committee members who helped reinstate Special Agent Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler).

Connor Trinneer

Commander charles "trip" tucker in star trek: enterprise.

Trip served as the Chief Engineer on the Enterprise NX-01, under the command of his good friend, Captain Archer. Outgoing and down-to-earth, Trip was a gifted engineer who was largely self-taught before joining Starfleet in 2139. Despite their differences, Trip and Vulcan Sub-commander T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) developed feelings for one another over the course of Star Trek: Enterprise , but their romance was cut short by the show's cancelation in season 4.

Trip was supposedly killed in Enterprise's controversial series finale , but the events were only seen via holographic recreations on the holodeck. Connor Trinneer had a memorable 10-episode stint on Stargate: Atlantis , and has appeared in 24, NCIS: Los Angeles, and ABC's 9-1-1 . In Criminal Minds season 4, episode 3, "Minimal Loss," Trineer portrayed Dan Torre alongside Luke Perry's cult leader, Benjamin Cyrus.

René Auberjonois

Constable odo in star trek: deep space nine.

The late René Auberjonois portrayed the stern but lovable Changeling, Constable Odo, in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . As Chief of Security on DS9, Odo was a brilliant detective who was aware of nearly everything and everyone on the busy space station. He ran a tight station and often butted heads with Ferengi bartender Quark (Armin Shimerman) who regularly participated in illicit activities.

Throughout his time on the station, Odo developed feelings for Bajoran Major Kira (Nana Visitor) and she later came to reciprocate those feelings. René Auberjonois starred alongside William Shatner in Boston Legal , and has also appeared in episodes of Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, and Warehouse 13. Auberjonois portrayed attempted proxy killer Colonel Ron Massey in Criminal Minds season 7, episode 9, "Self-Fulfilling Prophecy."

Constable Odo's 10 Best Star Trek: DS9 Episodes

Mr. saru in star trek: discovery, star trek: discovery.

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Release Date September 24, 2017

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Used to being covered in heavy prosthetics and make-up, Doug Jones has made Mr. Saru on Star Trek: Discovery one of Star Trek's best new characters. The first Kelpian in Starfleet, Saru has grown and changed a lot over the course of Discovery's five seasons, and even found love in an incredibly sweet relationship with the Vulcan President of Ni'Var, T'Rina (Tara Rosling).

With his tall stature and distinctive look, Doug Jones has had a prolific career playing monsters and creepy creatures in horror films, often working with director Guillermo del Toro. Jones played two different characters in two episodes of Criminal Minds : drug addict Domino Thacker in season 1, episode 11, "Blood Hungry" and fight club captain Beanie in season 4, episode 10, "Brothers in Arms."

Jonathan Frakes

William riker in star trek: the next generation & star trek: picard.

Jonathan Frakes began his Star Trek career portraying Commander William Riker , the First Officer on the USS Enterprise-D, on Star Trek: The Next Generation . He played Riker for seven seasons of TNG and four films, before reprising the role in Star Trek: Picard seasons 1 and 3. In TNG season 3, Frakes tried his hand at directing, and he has since become one of Star Trek's most beloved and prolific directors.

Frakes has directed episodes of numerous popular television shows, including crime procedurals like Castle and NCIS: Los Angeles . In Criminal Minds season 5, episode 12, "The Uncanny Valley," Frakes portrayed child psychiatrist and pedophile Dr. Arthur Malcolm , the father of serial killer Samantha Malcolm (Jennifer Hasty). Frakes is just one of the many recognizable Star Trek faces that have appeared on Criminal Minds throughout its fifteen seasons.

Criminal Minds & all of the Star Trek shows mentioned above are available to stream on Paramount+.

Criminal Minds

Cast Lola Glaudini, A.J. Cook, Rachel Nichols, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Matthew Gray Gubler, Paget Brewster, Thomas Gibson, Kirsten Vangsness, shemar moore, Mandy Patinkin, Joe Mantegna, Aisha Tyler

Release Date September 22, 2005

Showrunner Erica Messer, Jeff Davis

Screen Rant

The aunt of star trek: tng's tasha yar actress once romanced ds9's quark.

Despite leaving TNG in season 1, Denise Crosby has lasting ties to the Star Trek franchise, including her aunt, who fell in love with DS9's Quark.

The aunt of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Denise Crosby once had a brief romance with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Quark (Armin Shimerman). Denise Crosby played Lt. Tasha Yar in TNG , whose family continued to pop up in the show even after she was killed by Armus. Tasha's sister, Ishara Yar (Beth Toussaint), used the crew of the USS Enterprise-D to help her launch an invasion of the Turkana IV Alliance's territory in TNG season 4, episode 6, "Legacy". Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5 introduced Sela (Denise Crosby) Tasha Yar's half-Romulan daughter from an alternate timeline, who became a recurring villain on the show.

Tasha Yar's extended family appearing on Star Trek: The Next Generation was reflective of Denise Crosby's own family links to the wider Star Trek universe. Denise Crosby was the granddaughter of popular crooner and actor Bing Crosby, named after her father, and Bing's son, Dennis Crosby. Embarrassed by a high-profile child support case between Dennis Crosby and Denise's mother, Marilyn Miller Scott, Bing Crosby reportedly never met his granddaughter . Amid this court battle, Bing Crosby's second wife, Kathryn, gave birth to her second child, Denise's aunt and future Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest star , Mary Crosby.

Star Trek: TNG's Most Hated Episode Still Traumatizes Denise Crosby

Star trek: tng's denise crosby's aunt played quark's love interest in ds9.

Denise Crosby's aunt Mary played Professor Natima Lang in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 18, "Profit and Loss" . Mary Crosby was a prolific TV guest star in the early 1990s, appearing in shows such as Murder, She Wrote and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman before being cast as Natima in DS9 . A specialist in political ethics, Natima was a prominent member of the Cardassian dissident movement, who wanted to overthrow their government's military rulers. Natima Lang was a character who brought out Quark's romantic and heroic side, something that DS9 writer and producer Ira Steven Behr disapproved of :

" I felt we didn't need another tough, sexy, swashbuckling character on the show. We had enough of those." - Ira Steven Behr, The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion

Mary Crosby is best known for playing Kristin Shepard in the iconic soap opera Dallas between 1979 and 1981 . Kristin Shepard was the character who famously shot J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) in the soap, with the reveal becoming one of the highest-rated episodes of any TV drama. In an interesting parallel between her character in Dallas and her character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Mary Crosby also shoots Quark in "Profit and Loss", albeit accidentally. It's a fun nod to Mary Crosby's best-known TV role.

Denise Crosby's Other Star Trek Family Links

Mary Crosby isn't the only member of Denise Crosby's extended family to appear in the wider Star Trek universe. Denise Crosby's brother, Paul, is married to actress and stunt performer, Spice Williams, who has made many appearances in the Star Trek franchise . Spice Williams-Crosby played Vixis in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , the first officer on Klaa's Klingon bird of prey. As a stunt performer, Spice Williams-Crosby doubled for Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine on episodes of Star Trek: Voyager.

Denise Crosby is also a distant relation of Family Guy creator and Star Trek: Enterprise guest star, Seth MacFarlane . Ancestry details of Seth MacFarlane reveal that he was a descendant of William Brewster, an ancestor of Bing Crosby. This means that Denise Crosby and Seth MacFarlane are distant cousins, a detail which must have pleased the noted Star Trek fan. In 2011, Seth MacFarlane revealed his desire to reboot the franchise on TV, a dream he never got to realize. However, his sci-fi comedy drama The Orville is the next best thing, a loving homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation that features many of its alumni.

All episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

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: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.