michelle hurd star trek

Michelle Hurd

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Michelle Hurd ( born 21 December 1966 ; age 57) is an American actress who plays Raffaela Musiker in Star Trek: Picard .

Hurd is the daughter of Jamaican-American actor Hugh Hurd , and his first wife, German-American clinical psychologist Merlyn Purdy. She made her acting debut in 1989's Rude Awakening with Cliff DeYoung and Andrea Martin . Hurd's next film was the telepic Justice League of America (1997) alongside Miguel Ferrer , John Kassir , and David Ogden Stiers .

Hurd followed with 1998's Wilbur Falls costarring Sally Kellerman . The 20th century for Hurd concluded with a costarring role in 1999's romance drama Random Hearts joining Bill Cobbs and Susanna Thompson . In 2012, Hurd reunited with Andrea Martin in Girl Most Likely , which also costarred Padma Lakshmi . That same year was the Christmas telefilm Naughty or Nice with Googy Gress and Wade Andrew Williams . For 2015, Hurd took on Beautiful & Twisted with Jude Ciccolella .

Hurd's best known lead role on series television is as New York Police Detective Monique Jeffries on the Law & Order spinoff Special Victims Unit , only starring in the first season from 1999-2000 and sporadically in the second (2000). The series premiere " Payback " featured Ronald Guttman ; " A Single Life " counted Michael Nouri as a guest; " ...Or Just Look Like One " had Carolyn McCormick carrying her role of Doctor Elizabeth Olivet from the parent series as well as Todd Stashwick ; " Closure " with Olivia Birkelund ; " Bad Blood " with Ken Land ; " Limitations " with John Doman ; " The Third Guy " was directed by Jud Taylor ; " Misleader " with Robert Foxworth ; " Remorse " with Josh Pais ; and the second season premiere " Wrong Is Right " featured a return performance by John Doman. Hurd was written out of the show before the season concluded in 2001. In 2009, to launch the 8th season of CSI: Miami , Hurd lent her talents to the premiere "Out of Time", joining Brad William Henke and Angelo Tiffe .

Hurd is known for her part as New York fashion photographer Laurel on the teen soap drama Gossip Girl in 2007 and 2008. Hurd appeared with Caroline Lagerfelt in the Season 2 premiere "Summer, Kind of Wonderful", as well as "The Dark Night" and "The Ex-Files", both with Mädchen Amick , all in 2008.

From 2014 to 2019, she appeared in eight episodes of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci 's Hawaii Five-0 reboot television series in the recurring role of Renee Grover. From 2016 through 2019, she played the primary antagonist Shepherd on NBC's Blindspot .

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• Michelle Hurd at Wikipedia
• Michelle Hurd at the Internet Movie Database
• Michelle Hurd at X (formerly Twitter)
• Michelle Hurd  at Instagram
• Michelle Hurd  at Facebook
• Michelle Hurd at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

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Star Trek: Picard

Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life. Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life. Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.

• Kirsten Beyer
• Michael Chabon
• Akiva Goldsman
• Patrick Stewart
• Michelle Hurd
• 2.8K User reviews
• 78 Critic reviews
• 14 wins & 54 nominations total

Episodes 30

• Jean-Luc Picard

• Raffi Musiker

• Seven of Nine

• Dr. Agnes Jurati

• Cristóbal Rios …

• Adam Soong …

• La Sirena Computer

• Jack Crusher

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Captain Liam Shaw

• Ensign Sidney La Forge

• Ensign Esmar

• Titan Computer …
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia The Chateau Picard vineyard first appeared in Family (1990) . It was run by Jean-Luc Picard's brother Robert and his wife Marie, and their son René. Jean-Luc would learn in Star Trek: Generations (1994) that Robert and René had both burned to death in a fire, leaving Jean-Luc as the last in the Picard line.
• Goofs Commodore Oh often wears sunglasses. Star Trek lore establishes that Vulcans have an inner eyelid to protect against harsh sunlight on their desert planet. Oh's shades are a fashion statement, not a protective measure.
• The first season features a Borg cube and the planet Romulus.
• The second season features a Borg ship, a wormhole and hourglass, and the Borg Queen's silhouette.
• The third season does not have an opening titles sequence.
• Connections Featured in Half in the Bag: Comic Con 2019, The Picard Trailer, Streaming Services, and Midsommar (2019)

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• January 23, 2020 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Star Trek: Captain Picard
• The Sunstone Villa and Vineyard, Santa Ynes, California, USA (Château Picard)
• CBS Television Studios
• Roddenberry Entertainment
• Secret Hideout
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 46 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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'Star Trek: Picard': Michelle Hurd Dishes on the Emotional Finale and Season 2 Plans (Exclusive)

ET spoke with the actress about Thursday's season closer and a brewing new romance for Raffi.

Warning: If you haven't watched the season finale of CBS All Access '  Star Trek: Picard , what are you doing here? Bookmark this page, watch the episode and then come back for all the scoop on what's to come.

Engage! 

In the season one finale of CBS All Access '  Star Trek: Picard , a resurrected Admiral Jean-Luc Picard -- no longer crippled by his terminal illness -- formed his trusty new La Sirena crew made up of Jurati ( Alison Pill ), Raffi ( Michelle Hurd ), Soji ( Isa Briones ), Elnor ( Evan Evagora ), Rios ( Santiago Cabrera ) and Narek ( Harry Treadaway ), and looked ahead to the future as they beamed off to their latest mission. But getting to this point -- successfully fending off the hundreds-deep Romulan fleet and curing "JL," as Raffi affectionately calls Picard, of his ills -- had its ups and downs.

Hurd hopped on the phone with ET to discuss the emotional season finale (including Raffi and Picard's goodbye scene), reflect on her  Star Trek  journey thus far and what she's hoping to explore in the second season . 

ET: What has that journey been like for you being a part of such an iconic franchise like Star Trek ?

Michelle Hurd:  It's been an amazing experience. I knew that when I got the job that it was going to be unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Personally, selfishly, I was ecstatic and so excited to have the opportunity to work with Patrick Stewart. I didn't really know what Raffi's world would be with Picard and what Michelle's were to be with Patrick. And during the journey... to experience, "Wow, she and he have this really unique relationship. They've had history. They go back. They deal with each other differently than any other characters deal with Picard." And I felt so, so ... I don't even know what the word is. I was going to say spoiled because I spend my days working with Patrick Stewart on a character that is so complex, layered, and yet so much more truthful and human than I've ever gotten an opportunity to bring to life before.  

I'm working with producers who I love and they love and respect me, and I love and respect them. And directors that are so good and have directed the s**t out of episodes. It's been amazing to watch. The first time we got to see the whole show was when we went to the Cinerama Dome [in January] and had our screening. It was like a two-hour movie, and to see what Hanelle [ Culpepper ] had done. She directed the s**t out of that. It was gorgeous. I selfishly was hoping that it would be the experience that it has been, and I've been so pleasantly surprised that it has surpassed everything that I could've hoped for and then some in this journey. 

What has been the most gratifying part?

I love the fact that I'm part of a series that has been so respectful and so inclusive of people of diverse cultures and inclusion, and making sure that others are not outsiders but are the insiders, the people who tell the story. That's unlike anything that I've experienced before. And to interact with the fans; they're so kind, they're so generous, they're so protective. I clicked over to the Star Trek unofficial fan page. It's so wonderful to hear them hypothesizing, and drawing conclusions, and connecting dots, and then every now and then you get some random person who says like, "This sucks," or something like that. And to see how the fans react, they protect it. They're like, "Look, dude. If you don't like this, get off this page. This is a family. We're talking about things that we love and if you don't love it then get off." I'm humbled to be a part of this. 

How much did they tell you initially about who you were playing because they do like to hold their secrets close to the vest...

I didn't know anything. In fact, one day I should try to find the breakdown of the audition that came to me in my email because all I had -- I'm sure you know, they never say it's Star Trek . I think ours was called Drawing Room or something. When I got that audition, it was for a self-tape. I was in my New York apartment and they wanted it the next day, and I was having a foot operation the next day. I was like, "Forget this! It's not going to happen," because I didn't really know what it was. Then, I thought, let me be a better little actor bunny and read all the information. So I read the breakdown and saw who was producing it, directing.

When I read the breakdown of the character, it said, "This woman is haunted by a decision she's made in the past. There's regret. She has vices that she leans on as crutches. She is an addict. She's struggling to do the right thing. She feels betrayed." Stuff that was so beautifully wounded. I know actors always talk about [how] we love playing those kinds of characters, but it's because there's so much more truth with where we can make our choices, you know? When you have people who are much more damaged, and in pain, and regretful, and desiring to fix, you can dive deep. You can pull things from your own life, from friends and family's lives, from things that are happening in the world. You have so much more information that you can draw on, and then to be able to pair that with Patrick Stewart -- hi! -- somebody who's going to, no matter what, offer you a rich bounty of reactions and authentic acting, you can't help but get better. 

Let's dig into the finale, which was a wonderful bookend to the season and went full circle in a lot of ways. By the end of the season, Raffi and Picard have moved past their beef. Can you talk about where their relationship is now versus where it was at the start?

When we first see Raffi and Picard together, she is still harboring deep feelings of betrayal. When she knows something's wrong, she just goes after it, right? And she knew that something was wrong with what was happening in the Federation. She felt that she and Picard were going to team up together to rescue millions of Romulans, millions of lives. And when the Federation let her down, Picard let her down. It's something she carried and felt responsible for. She felt that it was her fault those individuals died. She drank, smoked and burrowed into her trailer in the desert because of that, left her child. When she sees Picard, it's heartbreak, and betrayal, and anger, and rage, and frustration. But at the end of it, if there's a possibility that she can fix or right the wrong that was done, she's going to go for it. 

The hope was, "I think he might understand that there really was something wrong and he might actually be doing this. I'm going to do it because it was to fix what was broken, what was wrong." During the whole journey, she sees him as more human and not perfect, and having the same human traits that we all do. We all make mistakes, he's struggling and he's trying to do the best he can. And when he tells them of his diagnosis, it surprises her how much it hurts her because he was more to her than just a captain. He was a mentor. He was the person that helped her get out of her addiction. He was a lifesaver.  He helped her pull herself back out even though it's been a little bumpy, and she'll be an addict for the rest of her life. She's been working hard to get a handle on that, and to hear that he's got a terminal diagnosis just breaks her heart again. I'm sure you have people in your life who sometimes always take things on themselves... they feel like whatever happened, they caused it -- even though that's irrational. Raffi has that tendency. 

To get to the place at the end where there's now hope, there's now a possibility for her to stay at a sober place as best she can. It will always be up and down. But to see that he's renewed in a way that she hadn't seen him before. She now has the information. Everything's sort of out in the open. The people who did right or wrong, it's been stated now. We can all acknowledge it and move on.

Was there a specific moment from the season that had you a little emotional?

The whole thing starting with Data and the dream of playing cards in the ending. I can't even...

I can't even with that final scene with Data.

I can't even, honey, I can't even! As you said, it is a perfect circle. The thing that's so beautiful about it is it really does mirror how complicated relationships we have with people are, you know? There are people in my own life right now who I love and still drive me f**king crazy! Because we do love them but we know all the other stuff that goes with it and we have to understand why people have certain issues and find space for them, and find patience, and understand that they're still part of our community, part of our society, and part of our family. 

One of the scenes from the finale that got me a little verklempt was when Raffi says goodbye to Picard as his body is dying and they share a genuine moment of understanding and love. What was your reaction when you first read the scene? What was it like to film?

It was kind of beautiful and we actually worked on it a bunch because we wanted to make sure... It's an interesting thing, especially when you're telling a story on film because in person, one on one, there are simple nuances that can be understood. When you do it on film, you have to be really careful... When she says "I love you," I remember we had to stop and we had to work on some other verbiage because I said, "I don't want people to read into it like they're lovers."

But it's important for these two adult individuals to say these words to each other for so many reasons because it's that moment when somebody in your life has helped you in ways that you didn't even know you could be helped, and it's that moment in time where you've been able to be mature enough and forgive yourself enough, to reach your hand out and say, "Thank you. Thank you for helping me." And that's what we really wanted to convey, that there's been a growth on both sides and also for all of us, especially in this crazy time, to take those moments and say, "Thank you." Say "I love you." Say those things because we're not always guaranteed tomorrow. I think that's why Raffi really needed to say what she needed to say. 

We see also at the very end of the finale, Raffi and Seven of Nine having an intimate moment on the starship. What are you excited to dig into more there?

First of all, the thought that I get to work with Jeri Ryan ... That will be nice. So first season is spending time with Patrick Stewart, the second with Jeri. I'll take it. But full disclosure, I have no idea what the second season is going to bring about. But that was a really fun moment and I guess I can just say it... It was funny because we were all down at San Diego Comic-Con [in 2019], and we were all hanging out. I think it was Jonathan Del Arco who took a picture of Jeri and I. We were standing together; I was in a white jumpsuit and she was in a red jumpsuit and we gave each other a hug, and he took a picture. You know those pictures where the lighting is good and everything works for both people? 

It just happened to be that it was a nice shot, and he literally went, "Oh my god. Look at this!" We went over to our producers who happened to be sitting together, Akiva [ Goldsman ],  Alex [ Kurtzman ] and Michael [ Chabon ], and I think there might've been Kirsten [ Beyer ] as well, and Jonathan went "Look at this. Look at this picture." They looked at the picture, they all looked at each other. We saw them in a little hubbub, and then they turned to me and Jeri and they're like, Raffi and Seven of Nine, and we were both like, "Oh my god. Yes!"

It was happenstance that it happened that way. I don't know what will go forward, but I will tell you that what I would love because Star Trek is so good about this kind of stuff. I would love for us to be able to effortlessly introduce, not even introduce, but effortlessly reveal a non-labeling sexuality for everyone. Wouldn't it be lovely? We already know that Raffi has a son, so we know that she's already indulged in the man, but wouldn't it be great if we could somehow really bring that in to these stories, embrace it and not label it, not make it taboo, but empower it? Make it almost fluid. If you think about it, Raffi and Seven, that would be pretty cool. They would totally get along. Raffi would be obsessed with what Seven of Nine does. First of all, male, female, whatever, who wouldn't be ecstatic if Seven of Nine looked their way? So yeah, I'm excited about that. 

What would you like to see for your character's journey in the new season?

The second season, I have no idea. I haven't chatted with any writers, but I would be really excited to see how this motley group gets together, or rather how this motley group can continue working together and how we tackle situations because we haven't all fully been together as a unit yet until the last moment, if you think about it. All of us: Seven, Soju, Elnor, all of us... It would be cool, just even one episode, to see if we all really work well together or not well together. 

I'd also love to see what happens with Seven and with Raffi. And I'm just curious to see what the next possible steps could happen with Raffi and her son [Gabriel]. One of the things I really was excited about with that story is to stay true to the world of an addict and really understand the ups and downs, and the things that happen. But I wanted to be incredibly respectful to the children of addicts, because there's this concept that when an addict is ready to come home, they're like, "I'm ready, come embrace me." And that's not fair to the children, to the people who have had to suffer during that addiction, and I thought it was really important to tell the son's point of view, that he has the right to say, "No, you're not allowed to be in my family. Maybe at some later date but you don't just pop in 10 years later and say I'm ready for an insta-family." People on Facebook and Twitter have said, "Thank you for telling that story because that's my story. I wasn't ready to have my parent come back after they abandoned us."

The first season of  Star Trek: Picard   is streaming now on CBS All Access .

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‘Star Trek: Picard’ Actress Michelle Hurd Hopes WGA and Studios Reach ‘Speedy Agreement’ in New Talks

Hurd tells TheWrap she hopes SAG-AFTRA will quickly follow “and we’ll all get back to creating the stories that we all love”

Now that negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP have resumed , one of the many questions that immediately follow is if and when the same will happen for SAG-AFTRA. Well, the actors guild’s Los Angeles VP and “Star Trek: Picard” star Michelle Hurd has “hope” that it will be soon.

Appearing at FanExpo Chicago on Saturday, Hurd explained to TheWrap that, at the end of the day, WGA needs to reach a deal before SAG even has a chance to consider things, so any movement is exciting.

“The bottom line is that we can’t go back into negotiations until they come to an agreement with the WGA,” Hurd said. “So this makes it, you know, as long as there’s actual true good faith bargaining happening, then that path to us getting back is closer, because they’re at that table.”

She continued, “And I’m the daughter of some civil rights activists. And my parents always say that you have to have hope. Because if you don’t have hope, there’s no tomorrow. So I have hope that we will come that they’re going to come to a speedy agreement, and that we are going to be next up.”

As far as exactly how long it’ll take for SAG to get their turn though, Hurd couldn’t say at this point. She does have a theory — but she would love to be wrong.

“You know, their playbook was they waited three months to get back to the table to the WGA,” Hurd explained. “On Monday, we’ll be in our first month of striking. So there’s a possibility that they might wait three months to get back to the table with us.”

She added, “But as I said, I have hope that it won’t take three months; that we’ll be back in the table, you know, negotiating soon, and we’ll all get back to creating the stories that we all love.”

For all of TheWrap’s WGA and SAG strike coverage,  click here .

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Published Jul 21, 2021

Kate Mulgrew and Michelle Hurd Set for Star Trek: Mission Chicago

Tickets go on sale Thursday, July 29th.

StarTrek.com

Prepare to assemble your crew and lay in a course for Star Trek: Mission Chicago . Whether you're a Ten-Forward regular or fresh out of the Academy, Star Trek: Mission Chicago is the ultimate Star Trek fan experience for all ages. The event will beam into McCormick Place, Chicago on April 8-10, 2022.

Discover a new frontier of immersive experiences and unique encounters with fellow fans unlike anything you’ve seen before. Explore the past, present and future of Star Trek while embracing the ideals of a diverse and inclusive future that remains at the center of Gene Roddenberry’s beloved universe. Join us as we go beyond expectation with a fan experience loaded with celebrity guests, exclusive merchandise and exciting announcements that can only be offered at Star Trek: Mission Chicago , the official fan convention brought to you by ViacomCBS and ReedPop.

Kate Mulgrew and Michelle Hurd join previously announced Wil Wheaton for the event. Star Trek : Mission Chicago tickets will go on sale Thursday, July 29th at 9 am PT, 12 pm ET.

Visit www.StarTrekMissions.com for ticket details and to join the newsletter to be the first to know about future announcements.

Star Trek: Picard streams on Paramount+ in the United States,  in Canada on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave, and on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories.

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Michelle Hurd Talks ‘Star Trek: Legacy’ Hopes & Ponders ‘SVU’ Return

While Paramount+ has recently said goodbye to one Star Trek  series ( Picard ) and will be to another this year ( Discovery ), there are other projects coming — and one that fans and stars hope joins that list. So, of course, when TV Insider caught up with  Picard ‘s Michelle Hurd on the red carpet for Law & Order: SVU ‘s 25th season celebration — she left the NBC drama in its second season — we had to ask about possibly seeing her as Raffi again.

“I love Raffi. She’s my favorite character,” Hurd shared. “We have hands, fingers, everything’s crossed for Star Trek: Legacy . I know that right now they’re working on Section 31 for Michelle Yeoh . And then they’re going to do Starfleet Academy . That’s going to be a series. And then if the fans still want it, they’ll start working on Star Trek: Legacy .” (And if you’d love to see Hurd and Yeoh team up in the world of Star Trek , you’re not the only one: “Wouldn’t that be phenomenal?” Hurd said. “I need to make a phone call.”)

There had been talk of  Section 31 (as a series) for quite some time before what is now going to be a movie was officially greenlit in April 2023. In the movie, Emperor Philippa Georgiou joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past. And it was just before that, in March 2023, that Paramount+ ordered  Starfleet Academy to series . It will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy.  Star Trek: Legacy is, right now, just a hope, of another series to continue telling the stories of the characters after Picard , but there’s nothing in development.

Hurd is also open to reprising her  SVU role, Monique Jeffries. “I would love to, obviously,” she told us. “I’m assuming that every actor that graces the stages of Law & Order would like to visit again. And it was my first series regular out of college. I feel like whenever I see pictures, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s baby Michelle.’ And as an artist, I’d love to come back just because I’ve matured and you want to revisit a role and see what you can do and bring to life. Plus, I’d love to see where Jeffries would be, and it would be great to see she’s like a Supreme Court justice, or she’s a judge, or she’s a DA.”

Raúl Esparza Likes the 'Messy, Hard, Painful' Place 'SVU' Left Benson & Barba

But since she loves playing perfectly imperfect characters, she’s also up to seeing that Jeffries “stumbled — just as long as we can see her stumble and succeed,” Hurd explained. “Because I’m also very conscious of the fact that I’m a woman of color and I’ve tried very hard to make choices in my career to represent women of color in a strong, empowering way, to let all the little brown and Black kids that are looking for representation see something on the screen and go, ‘Hey, I can do that. She’s doing it. I can do that.’ So I hope it would be something that it would be empowering so I can continue this journey that I’m trying to do of living a legacy of women of color.”

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Michelle Hurd Talks Star Trek: Picard, Studying at BU, and Empowering Opportunities for Diverse Artists

The actor shares her passion for using her power as an artist to lift up others on and off the set

Michelle hurd talks star trek: picard , studying at bu, and empowering opportunities for diverse artists.

Actor and activist Michelle Hurd (CFA’88), who currently stars in Paramount+’s Star Trek: Picard , was a recipient of the 2022 BU College of Fine Arts Distinguished Alumni Awards .

As the most prestigious awards conferred by CFA since 1986, Hurd was celebrated for her outstanding achievements in her acting career and service to the arts and to communities.

During her most recent visit to campus, Hurd spoke with CFA about her experience as a theatre student at BU, and how the techniques and rehearsal processes she learned in school live with her every time she takes on an acting role.

Art touches us and broadens our perspective. Be bold, be brave, have fun, and do the work. Acting is a real vocation. Be proud of it. -Michelle Hurd (CFA’88)

In addition to her extensive television career, spanning three decades, Hurd is SAG-AFTRA’s National Vice President of Los Angeles and Chair of the SAG-AFTRA National Sexual Harassment Prevention Committee. For her commitment to union work, Hurd received the SAG-AFTRA President’s Award for Union Service in 2021.

“I realized that, as an actor, we actually have a little power. We can actually make change. I’m super excited and more focused on helping the many and not just the few. I’m already on the contact sheet. I’m already going to be taken care of. I’m more concerned about our guests, our recurring, our background artists, and anybody who enters the set. I want them to feel safe and empowered,” says Hurd, who’s passionate about advocating to have people of color represented on screen and behind the camera.

“One of my friends, Yvette Nicole Brown, told me one time she went to set, to hair and makeup, and the person who was doing her makeup didn’t have her base color and sent her to special effects. Can you imagine? One of the actresses on Star Trek: Picard who plays young Guinan, her name is Ito Aghayere, came to set one day and she walked over to me and she says, ‘Michelle, I have to say thank you because I came to set today, as I come to every studio, with my hair and makeup, all my products in my bag. I walked into the hair makeup trailer and I saw a woman of color and I cried because I realized for the first time I just have to do my job.'”

Hurd is also working with a group to produce a pamphlet with the Costume Design Guild of best fitting room practices to ensure actors are safe when they go into fitting rooms, empowering both costume designers and actors.

“I encourage every actor, every actor, to think bigger and broader and understand that they can do all this kind of activism work. If they’ve got an idea that they think they could make a safer place, come join the union, make a booklet, and we will produce it,” says Hurd.

Highlights of the 2022 CFA Distinguished Alumni Awards

On Thursday, September 29, 2022, the BU College of Fine Arts community  – students, alumni, friends, faculty, and staff – came together to celebrate and honor three inspiring alums with the 2022 CFA Distinguished Alumni Awards. Congratulations to flutist and composer Valerie Coleman (CFA’95, BUTI’89), actor and activist Michelle Hurd (CFA’88), and visual artist and Guggenheim Fellow Alexi Worth (CFA’93).

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10 Star Trek Aliens Who Don't Look Human

9 versions of the borg in star trek, every borg queen in star trek.

Star Trek 's greatest Klingon, Worf (Michael Dorn), rarely showed fear in Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Picard , but he wasn't as intimidated by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) as he was by a different bald Starfleet Captain. Worf was part of TNG 's cast for all 7 seasons, and he appeared in all 4 TNG movies. After Star Trek Generations , however, Worf joined Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and the Klingon became a key part of the DS9 cast from seasons 4 to 7.

After Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended, Worf became the Klingon Ambassador as part of the House of Chancellor Martok (J.G. Hertzler), but he didn't remain long as the Klingon warrior was back on the USS Enterprise-E as Security Chief in Star Trek: Nemesis . Star Trek: Picard season 3 updated Worf's Starfleet career and revealed he succeeded Jean-Luc Picard as Captain of the USS Enterprise-E in the 2280s. However, Worf lost the Enterprise-E under mysterious circumstances that the Klingon insists were not his fault. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, Captain Worf was part of Starfleet Intelligence, and the Klingon played a key role in defeating the Borg once more and saving the United Federation of Planets at Frontier Day alongside Admiral Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D. Meanwhile, at no point did Worf display any type of fear toward Picard, unlike the Klingon's time on Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Picard

Related: Is Worf A Bad Star Trek Captain? What First Contact & Picard Reveal

Worf Feared Sisko More Than Picard

Amazingly, Worf was intimidated by Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . This fact was revealed to Sisko by Lt. Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer) in DS9 season 7, a revelation that delighted Captain Sisko. At that point, Worf had worked closely with Sisko for nearly four years and fought the Dominion War with him and the rest of DS9's crew. In lieu of Captain Sisko, it was Worf's duty as Chief Operations Officer to command the USS Defiant. But it's fascinating that the mighty Klingon actually feared Captain Sisko, although he kept it to himself. Yet Worf didn't feel the same sense of intimidation from Captain Picard.

To be sure, Worf deeply respected Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation . Picard was Worf's commanding officer, and he stood by the Klingon throughout the strife surrounding the House of Mogh's disgrace on the Klingon homeworld. But in Star Trek: First Contact , Worf and Picard became furious at each other. When Jean-Luc called the Klingon a "coward," Worf visibly restrained himself from attacking his Captain and he seethed, "If you were any other man, I would kill you where you stand! ' Yet it's difficult to imagine Worf reacting the same way toward Captain Sisko under similar circumstances.

Would Captain Worf Be More Like Sisko Or Picard?

Captain Worf has forged his own path as evidenced in Star Trek: Picard season 3. While the Klingon remains one of the most formidable fighters and efficient killers in all of Star Trek, Worf also embraced a new, more pacifistic philosophy. The Klingon tempers his bloodlust with meditation, and he provided a calm center to inspire the tumultuous Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd). However, Worf is far removed from his days commanding a starship in Picard season 3, so it's difficult to tell whether he emulated Picard or Sisko during the time he was Captain of the Enterprise.

Worf very likely learned compassion and restraint from Captain Picard while Sisko's fortitude and ability to weather the immense pressures of the Federation's very survival must have inspired the Klingon as well. It would be safe to assume Worf learned a great deal from serving with two of the greatest Captains in Starfleet. Perhaps the best way to gauge what kind of Captain Worf really is would be for Star Trek to tell the story of Worf's time commanding the Enterprise-E , either in a Star Trek movie or even via Star Trek : Picard' s proposed spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy. Of course, Worf will never admit he was intimidated by Captain Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Picard's Michelle Hurd on Star Trek's Legacy and Where Raffi Could Go Next

As she heads to st-sf: trek to san francisco, the actress discusses why star trek is so important..

The last time we saw Michelle Hurd’s Raffaela ‘Raffi’ Musiker was during the finale of Star Trek: Picard on the bridge of the newly christened USS Enterprise-G. And while we have yet to find out what the future holds next for the first officer who is now serving under Captain Seven of Nine, Hurd herself spoke to IGN this week about her hopes for the character, how Star Trek changed her life, and how you can meet her and many other Star Trek legends at this weekend’s ST-SF: Trek to San Francisco convention.

ST-SF: Trek to San Francisco is set to take place at the Hyatt Regency SFO Hotel in San Francisco from March 8-10 and marks a big moment for fans. Alongside taking place at the future home of Starfleet Headquarters, ST-SF: Trek to San Francisco will kick off the return of regional Star Trek cons for Creation Entertainment, the same company that operated over 100 of these types of events per year during its peak in the ‘80s. According to Hurd, this is great news because there really isn’t anything quite like a Star Trek convention.

“One of the things Jonathan Frakes told me about becoming part of the Star Trek family on my first day of Picard Season 1 was, ‘Michelle, just get ready. When this show drops it's unlike any other gig you ever had. You immediately have 10 million families worldwide,’” she laughs. “Because of this, conventions have been phenomenal because I’m able to interact with people and see how profoundly Star Trek affects and unites us.”

Conventions like ST-SF on land are wonderful, but Hurd recently sailed aboard Star Trek: The Cruise and also had a great time. In addition to celebrating the life of the late Star Trek actor Kenneth Mitchell and playing D&D with Anthony Rapp, Wil Wheaton, and Dungeon Master Todd Stashwick, Hurd also had a very special thing happen while hosting a game show.

“One of the first things I had to do on the cruise was host Star Trek Trivial Pursuit,” Hurd said. “I had just gotten the questions moments before I had to get up in front of the 300 people and was a bit worried because I'm dyslexic. I got up and I started to talk and then I just stopped and said, ‘You know what? I'm just going to put the cards on the table. I'm totally dyslexic so you're going to hear me say some words that might sound bumpy, but just be gentle with me, have some grace, and it'll be fine.’

“What’s amazing is that, for the rest of the week, I had so many people come up to me to let me know how much that moment meant to them because they're dyslexic or someone they love is on the spectrum. They said it really made them feel seen and heard to just say it out loud and not be ashamed of it.”

The actress connects those moments to her Star Trek character as well.

“I always say that Raffi is perfectly imperfect,” she continued. “Because really, aren't we all perfectly imperfect? So that was an amazing thing. I feel like the Trek family is such an empathetic one. We all get it. We all get that we're different and unique and interesting, not perfect. We support each other. It got me so emotional during the whole week. I was just like, they're saying thank you for letting us know that you're with us and we're all the same. It was beautiful.”

Gene Roddenberry’s Impact 

Hurd also talked about how Star Trek has changed her life for the better. To help stress her point, she took us all the way back to the beginning.

“Fifty-eight years ago, Roddenberry had some kind of wild crystal ball that he knew that he needed to create something or that we needed to have something created that would hold a mirror up to society, let us see what we're doing, and try to embrace the concept of inclusivity, diversity, and hope for a better tomorrow,” she said. “Who would think that by doing a show, those elements would become so much more enlightened and powerful in your present-day activities? But that's what Star Trek has done for me.

“I’m biracial, and back in the day when it wasn't so popular or cool to be biracial or to have Black and white parents, there were a lot of challenging moments. And my father knew how important it was to have his three Brown girls see themselves represented in this world. And so we, as a family, would sit down and watch the original Star Trek reruns to see Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura on that bridge. She gave us the permission to be bold and brave and say, ‘I'm supposed to be here. I'm allowed to be here.’ So I can only hope that there are some Brown and Black little kids with crazy hair that get to see me and say, ‘I'm here. I'm here in the year 2400 in space with my hair and everything.’"

What the Future May Hold for Star Trek: Legacy

Looking forward, Hurd is just as excited as we all are for the potential and heavily rumored Star Trek: Legacy spin-off series that would theoretically continue the adventures of the Enterprise-G crew and other beloved Star Trek characters in the 25th century. While she has no concrete news on the proposed series, she does have certain hopes for this possible next chapter.

“I absolutely think that Raffi loves Seven of Nine,” Hurd said of the Jeri Ryan character. “I think she would be a happy person to just be on a journey with Seven, whether they're in a relationship or not. And I shouldn't say whether they're in a relationship or not. They are. They're in a relationship because they're in each other's lives.”

She also hopes that Raffi’s addiction backstory will continue to be fleshed out if Legacy moves forward.

“I really want to see how Seven, Raffi, and Jack Crusher navigate the universe, but I also think that it's important to continue to tell the journey of people who are or who have been addicts,” she said. “Because once we have it, we're there forever. What’s a better way to put that pressure on her than to be Number One and know that she has a responsibility not only to her captain and somebody who she cares very deeply for, but to Starfleet as well?

“I think we could also continue to push and explore what it’s like having Seven of Nine as the first queer Star Trek captain without it being the focus. It should just be life and see how we navigate in it. Just like me talking about being dyslexic. I'd love for us to be able to reveal more of the things that people who look like they are presenting as ‘neurotypical normal’ are actually struggling with and going through. I think it would be phenomenal because you'll get an audience that is finally seeing themselves represented.”

We may have to wait to see where Raffi’s adventure actually goes next, but if you find yourself in the San Francisco area this weekend you can chat and even take a picture with Hurd, Ryan, and many more members of the Star Trek family. You can find all the info you need on ST-SF: Trek to San Francisco right here.

For more from the world of Star Trek, check out our chat with Sonequa Martin-Green about becoming Star Trek: Discovery’s Captain Burnham , or our discussion with the Discovery cast about what to expect from the final season .

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter  @AdamBankhurst  and on  TikTok.

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Every Borg Queen In Star Trek

• Borg Queen's multiple faces share memories, resemble bee hives, and manipulate even sexuality - iconic villain.
• Voyager reveals Borg Queen origin, Seven of Nine connection, and Janeway's daring plans with Thompson's chilling portrayal.
• Picard features desperate, lonely Borg Queen using manipulation for companionship; Pill's nuanced performance evolves Borg character.

First introduced in Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg Queen's multiple incarnations have been played by several different actors across the Star Trek franchise. The Borg Queen is the name assigned to the Borg Collective's central nexus, and while they have had different faces across the Star Trek timeline , they appear to share the same memories and personality. The existence of a Queen draws a comparison between the Borg and bees, with the Borg Queen coordinating her drones via a hive mind.

Of all the Star Trek shows that feature the Borg , it was Star Trek: Voyager that revealed most about the Borg Queen. For example, Voyager revealed that the Borg Collective's central nexus was dubbed the Queen by Magnus and Erika Hansen , eminent experts on the Borg and parents to young Annika. The Hansens were eventually captured and assimilated by the Borg, with Annika becoming Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Like Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) before her, Seven retained a complicated link back to the Borg Collective, and the many faces of the Borg Queen.

Star Trek: The Full History Of The Borg Queen Explained

Since her introduction to the Star Trek franchise, the Borg Queen has become a legendary villain with a long, complex, and fascinating history.

Alice Krige In Star Trek: First Contact

The original borg queen. (and the best).

The first Borg Queen was played by Alice Krige in the 1996 Star Trek: The Next Generation movie Star Trek: First Contact . Surprisingly, for the Queen of a race of emotionless drones, she had a distinct personality and even attempted to seduce Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) with promises of the humanity he craved. The Borg Queen's use of manipulation and even sexuality has defined the character from her first appearance in First Contact to Star Trek: Picard season 2, which speaks to Alice Krige's lasting impact on the character.

In an interview with Star Trek 's official website , Brannon Braga explained why the Borg Queen was created for Star Trek: First Contact , saying: " the Borg aren't that interesting for a feature film for two hours because they don't say anything. "

It's heavily implied in Star Trek: First Contact that Captain Jean-Luc Picard's assimilation into the Borg Collective as Locutus was an attempt to provide the Queen with a mate - something that was foiled by Picard's resistance to his Borg conditioning during the Battle of Wolf 359 . Krige played the role of the Borg Queen as a cold and calculating manipulator, who could seamlessly shift from seduction to ordering the destruction of mankind. As such, despite being destroyed by Data (Brent Spiner) in the movie's climax, Krige's Borg Queen is still the most recognizable incarnation.

Susanna Thompson In Star Trek: Voyager

Susanna thompson got a second chance to be the borg queen..

Susanna Thompson had originally auditioned to play the role of the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact , but lost out to Alice Krige . However, she got her wish to play the role when the USS Voyager finally entered Borg space during their adventures in the Delta Quadrant. As Alice Krige was unavailable to reprise her role for Star Trek: Voyager season 5, episodes 15 and 16, "Dark Frontier", Thompson was cast instead. In "Dark Frontier", Captain Janeway launches a daring plan to acquire Borg technology that risks Seven of Nine's freedom.

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

Network UPN

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

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

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

Where To Watch Paramount+

Susanna Thompson's Borg Queen expressed a preference for Seven, stating she was her favorite Borg drone and threatened to assimilate the entire Voyager crew if Seven did not rejoin the Collective. Thompson took Krige's portrayal as the basis for her own performance, and brought new depths to it, adding a twisted maternal fascination with Seven into the mix. This was a perfect counterpoint to Captain Janeway's own maternal relationship with Seven. Thompson reprised the role once more for Star Trek: Voyager "Unimatrix Zero", in which the Voyager crew inspire a group of Borg drones to revolt against their Queen.

Before Voyager, A Borg Queen Actor Romanced Star Trek: DS9s Dax

2nd Borg Queen Susanna Thompson was a regular guest actor across all three of Star Trek's 90s shows, from TNG to Voyager via a controversial DS9 role.

Alice Krige In Star Trek: Voyager's Finale

Voyager finally secured alice krige for janeway's last battle with the borg queen..

Alice Krige reprised her role as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Voyager 's finale "Endgame", in which she faced off against Starfleet's Admiral Janeway. The plot of "Endgame" centered on an older Admiral Janeway traveling back in time to get the USS Voyager home decades earlier than it had in her timeline. This plan required her to hijack the Borg Collective's transwarp corridors, and face down the Borg Queen one last time. Alice Krige told Star Trek Magazine that she was advised by a Voyager producer to bring the same sexually charged energy from Star Trek: First Contact , noting that the Borg Queen was omnisexual .

To prepare for her return, Alice Krige opted not to watch any of Susanna Thompson's previous episode but instead read the previous Star Trek: Voyager scripts in which the Borg Queen appeared.

Physically, this is a different Borg Queen from Star Trek: First Contact and the previous Star Trek: Voyager episodes. However, the Borg Queen always retains the same characteristics, so the final confrontation between the older Janeway and the Borg Queen is electric. The return of Alice Krige gave "Endgame" blockbuster energy, which must have fed into Garrett Wang's desire to release an extended version of Star Trek: Voyager' s finale in movie theaters .

Alice Krige In Star Trek: Lower Decks

Boimler fought a holographic borg queen in "i, excretus".

Alice Krige played the Borg Queen again in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 8, "I, Excretus". The episode revolves around the crew of the USS Cerritos enduring a series of impossibly difficult hologram simulations as part of a rigorous officer assessment program. Ever the over-achiever, Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) became obsessed with getting a perfect score on the Borg Cube simulation, which pitted him against the Borg Queen .

Cast Gabrielle Ruiz, Fred Tatasciore, Jerry O'Connell, dawnn lewis, Eugene Cordero, Tawny Newsome, Noel Wells, Jack Quaid

Writers Mike McMahan

Showrunner Mike McMahan

As Star Trek: Lower Decks is predominantly a comedy, and as the Borg Queen in "I, Excretus" is a holographic reconstruction, Krige gets to send up the character. Krige plays Lower Decks ' Borg Queen in a more heightened fashion , making her even more vampish. The scene in which the sexually confident Borg Queen has an incredibly awkward-looking Boimler strapped to a Borg conversion bed provides a great deal of laughs.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Cast Guide - Who Voices Each Character In All 4 Seasons

Star Trek: Lower Decks features an incredibly talented and prolific voice cast of actors. Here's who's who aboard the USS Cerritos.

Annie Wersching In Star Trek: Picard Season 2

An alternate reality borg queen who crossed over into the prime star trek timeline..

Not content with just having Q (John de Lancie) and Dr. Adam Soong (Brent Spiner) as antagonists, Star Trek: Picard season 2 also brought back the Borg Queen. Hailing from the alternate Confederacy of Earth reality, the parallel universe's Borg Queen was played by 24 's Annie Wersching . This alternate Borg Queen had different powers but retained the unifying trait of both Alice Krige and Susanna Thompson's incarnations - an inherent loneliness. It was that loneliness that drew Star Trek: First Contact 's Borg Queen to Locutus and Data, and it was a similar loneliness that drew Star Trek: Voyager 's Borg Queen to Seven.

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

Writers Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon

Directors Terry Matalas, Jonathan Frakes

Showrunner Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon

In Star Trek: Picard season 2, the Borg Queen is rescued from public execution by Jean-Luc Picard's motley crew because she has the processing power to make the precise calculations that will allow them to travel back to 2024 and fix the timeline. As Picard confronted his childhood trauma and Seven was finally allowed to embrace her humanity, the Borg Queen sought companionship elsewhere. Using her famously manipulative techniques, the Borg Queen seduced Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) . Annie Wersching was terrific at playing this version of the Borg Queen who was desperate to connect, providing a more haunting and melancholic take on the character.

Alison Pill In Star Trek: Picard Season 2

Agnes jurati showed the way to a better type of borg..

Alison Pill gave a nuanced performance of not one by two Borg Queens in Star Trek: Picard season 2 . The first was the infamously cold and ruthless version but housed in the body of cyberneticist Agnes Jurati. Pill's second Borg Queen performance was her more evolved form, combining Agnes' humanity and Borg technology to become something unique. Alison Pill performed both these versions well, and kept viewers guessing whether Agnes had fully gone over to the Collective. Instead, Agnes' new Borg Collective combined the technology of the Borg with the more utopian outlook of the Federation .

Agnes Jurati's new Borg Collective were granted provisional Federation membership in Star Trek: Picard season 2's finale.

Agnes' changes to the Borg could lead to some fascinating developments in future Star Trek shows . Jurati has spent centuries creating a new Collective, while the Borg have waged war elsewhere in the galaxy. Now that they've arrived to stand guard over the anomaly, offering the hand of friendship to the Federation. It creates a new dynamic that could completely change the fan-favorite Star Trek aliens, especially as the original Borg Collective were wiped out shortly after.

What Happened To Star Trek: Picard's Other Borg Queen Explained By Showrunner

Terry Matalas considered having Agnes Jurati's Borg Queen make a surprise return in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Here's why it didn't happen.

Alice Krige & Jane Edwina Seymour In Star Trek: Picard Season 3

"the last generation" was the borg queen's last stand..

Alice Krige returned to give the Borg Queen her send-off in Star Trek: Picard season 3. However, this time Krige only voiced her lines. The woman in the Borg Queen make-up was Jane Edwina Seymour, credited as "Borg Queen Body Double" in Star Trek: Picard season 3's finale . With Picard's son Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) under her influence as Võx of Borg, the Queen launched a devastating attack on Starfleet and the Federation by simultaneously assimilating every officer under the age of 25.

Voice actor Garth Kemp deserves an honorable mention for voicing The Face, the conduit by which the Borg Queen communicated with Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer).

While viewers may be disappointed that it's not Patrick Stewart and Alice Krige face to face in the Star Trek: Picard finale, the combination of Krige's voice work, and Jane Edwina Seymour's horrifying movements make for a memorably disfigured Borg Queen . Now that the crew of the USS Enterprise-D have destroyed the Borg Collective once and for all, there will likely be no more Borg Queens besides the benevolent Agnes Jurati Queen. This means that Star Trek 's lineage of Borg Queens both starts and ends with Alice Krige.

Star Trek: First Contact is currently available to stream on Max.

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Michelle yeoh cast in ‘blade runner 2099’ from amazon.

The Prime Video 'Blade Runner' TV sequel has cast the 'Star Trek: Discovery' actress in a lead role.

By James Hibberd

James Hibberd

Writer-at-Large

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Prime Video’s Blade Runner TV project has cast Michelle Yeoh in a lead role.

The Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once actress has signed on to Blade Runner 2099 .

The limited series is from showrunner Silka Luisa ( Shining Girls ) and executive produced by original Blade Runner director Ridley Scott. Jonathan van Tulleken ( Shogun ) will direct the first two episodes.

Yeoh will soon reprise her role as Trek ‘s Emperor Philippa Georgiou in the TV movie Star Trek: Section 31 .

In addition to Luisa and Scott, the show’s executive producers include Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Ben Roberts, David W. Zucker, Clayton Krueger, Tom Spezialy, Richard Sharkey, Michael Green, Cynthia Yorkin, Frank Giustra and Isa Dick Hackett.

There’s no premiere date as of yet, and the project is the first live-action Blade Runner property since the 2017 film Blade Runner 2049 .

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The 20 Best Episodes in the Star Trek TV Franchise, Ranked

"Live long and prosper!"

Few franchises have enjoyed the popularity and longevity that the beloved sci-fi Star Trek has. It's the longest-running franchise in American TV history, with no signs of wrapping up anytime soon, and has been hugely influential in pop culture. The original series was created by Gene Roddenberry and followed the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as they explored the galaxy in the 23rd century, with subsequent series following a similar premise but with different ships and crews and set in different times, as well as a number of films .

With hundreds of episodes in the franchise, choosing the best is a daunting task. At its best, the series told compelling, emotional stories, sometimes very human ones, despite the focus on the future and other species. The best episodes also often feature themes and plot devices like alternate timelines and time travel. But no matter the story, the one thing they all have in common is compelling storytelling with characters at the center.

20 "Supernova"

'prodigy,' season 1, episode 19.

In the two-part Prodigy episode “Supernova,” the crew was surrounded by the Federation armada, and a Living Construct was unleashed, threatening to destroy all of Starfleet. The crew turned to other allies for help by putting out a distress call, which drew other ships to the area who helped deflect blasts and beam Starfleet personnel off of their ships under attack, but other Starfleet ships also responded, putting them in danger from the Construct, as well.

“Supernova” was a standout episode of Prodigy and a fitting way to end its first season, with high stakes for Starfleet. The intense episode also came with plenty of emotional moments, especially as it came to its conclusion in the second part with the destruction of the Protostar as the best option to defeat the Construct. The episode had huge implications for the series moving forward and felt like it could serve as a series finale, although that fortunately wasn’t the case.

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Prodigy can be streamed on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch On Netflix

19 "Blink of an Eye"

'voyager,' season 6, episode 12.

In “Blink of an Eye,” Janeway ( Kate Mulgrew ) and the crew became trapped in the orbit of a primitive planet which then started to evolve at an amazingly fast pace, allowing them to witness much of its history, while its citizens were in awe of the Voyager in the sky above them. As time passed on the planet, generations of its citizens were inspired by the ship to create art and even establish religion.

“Blink of an Eye” was a fascinating episode about a distant planet, but it also echoed the impact Star Trek has had on everything from pop culture to technology . Daniel Dae Kim , best known for his roles on Lost and Hawaii Five-Oh , had a memorable role as Gotana-Retz, an astronaut from the planet who made it up to the Voyager and served as an ambassador until he was able to return, and 50 years had passed on the planet.

Star Trek: Voyager

*Availability in US

Not available

18 "The Trouble with Tribbles"

'star trek' season 2, episode 15.

In the TOS episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” Uhura ( Nichelle Nichols ) got an interesting new pet, a small furry animal called a tribble, which was born pregnant and therefore reproduced at an astounding rate, leading the Enterprise to quickly become overrun with the furry creatures. On top of that, they didn’t get along well with Klingons. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is tasked with protecting a space station receiving a crucial shipment of grain, and the crew uncover a Klingon plot to poison it.

Fan-favorite “The Trouble with Tribbles” is among the most famous episodes of TOS , in part because it had all the elements of classic Star Trek —it successfully combined the funny, lighthearted plot of the Gremlin-like tribbles with the larger dramatic themes and conflicts of the show. The plots of the tribbles and poisoned grain came together in the end when the crew discovered a number of tribbles died after eating the grain.

Star Trek: The Original Series

17 "balance of terror", 'star trek,' season 1, episode 14.

In this Season 1 episode from the original series, the Enterprise engages in a game of cat-and-mouse with a Romulan ship while investigating the destruction of four outposts along the neutral zone in “Balance of Terror,” with the Romulans suspected of being responsible. The Romulans had a powerful weapon in their possession, and their commander saw many similarities between himself and Kirk ( William Shatner ). The episode was revisited in Strange New Worlds episode “A Quality of Mercy,” which explored its events through an alternate future.

On top of just being a great episode, “Balance of Terror” was also notable for introducing the Romulans , an offshoot of Vulcans and one of the show’s most formidable enemies. The episode dealt with the theme of bigotry, a common one throughout the franchise, and presented an exciting submarine-like chase. Given its role in Strange New Worlds decades later, its impact on the franchise is clear, and the follow-up episode served to illustrate the differences between Pike ( Anson Mount ) and Kirk.

16 "Devil in the Dark"

'star trek,' season 1, episode 25.

In “Devil in the Dark,” Kirk and Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) answer a distress call on another planet to find dozens of workers in a mining facility have been killed by an unknown creature. But the creature, called a Horta, turned out to be more intelligent than they originally thought and was a mother trying to protect her babies. Her eggs were being accidentally destroyed by the miners, who thought they were mineral formations.

“Devil in the Dark” proved to be more than a simple monster story, it was really quintessential Star Trek , with a conflict rooted in a misunderstanding resolved through peaceful means. The episode also dealt with the themes of environmentalism, colonization, the fear of the unknown and misconceptions of an enemy and their motives. It is also memorable for some of its classic moments and dialogue, including the first instance of what would become McCoy’s ( DeForest Kelley ) catchphrase.

15 "Yesteryear"

'the animated series,' season 1, episode 2.

“Yesteryear” from The Animated Series saw Spock return from a trip back in time only to find something had been changed accidentally. An Andorian was in his place aboard the Enterprise , as Spock had died as a young child during kahs-wan, a maturity ritual. To set things right, the Guardian from another notable Star Trek episode, “The City on the Edge of Forever,” appeared and sent Spock back in time to his childhood.

The Animated Series may not be considered the best Star Trek had to offer, but it still had some standout episodes. “Yesteryear” was a great Spock-centered episode dealing with his past , and its ties to “The City on the Edge of Forever” were an added bonus tying it back to The Original Series . It was a great time-travel episode, as Spock realized the person who saved his life during the kahs-wan as a child was actually himself.

Star Trek: The Animated Series can be streamed on Prime Video in the U.S.

Watch On Prime

14 "The Last Generation"

'picard,' season 3, episode 10.

The Paramount+ series Picard brought back Captain Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) and his crew. In the series finale of Picard , “The Last Generation,” the titular captain’s crew from The Next Generation , along with crews new and old, took on the Borg from the Enterprise . Starfleet was under the Borg’s control and the Queen was out for revenge on the crew, resulting in the greatest threat they had ever faced. Despite the risk of becoming Locutus, Picard focuses on prioritizing and saving his son.

“The Last Generation” was the sendoff Picard and his Enterprise crew deserved . It felt very much like an ending for The Next Generation , with some Easter eggs throughout and, more importantly, great emotional moments as the crew recognized the magnitude of the threat they were dealing with and faced the possibility that some of them, or all, might not survive it. The episode also hinted at what may be yet to come in the future of the franchise.

Star Trek: Picard

13 "duet", 'deep space nine,' season 1, episode 19.

In “Duet,” a Cardassian named Marritza ( Harris Yulin ) arrives at Deep Space Nine, suffering from Kalla-Nohra, a disease which suggests he had spent time in a labor camp. Suspicious that he had a role in the Cardassian occupation of Bajor and was lying about who he was, Kira ( Nana Visitor ) begins to investigate him. He then claimed to be Gul Darhe’el, a leader in charge of the labor camp, a claim which was found to be false. Marritza was trying to get caught.

“Duet” was a strong episode in the series’ first season which delved into the politics of Star Trek and Deep Space Nine in particular and had multiple twists before arriving at the truth about Marritza and his motivations. The episode was also a story about remorse and vengeance, with Marritza seeking to atone for his actions while Kira was seeking vengeance, only to change her mind in the end, and for someone else to take matters into their own hands.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

12 "in the pale moonlight", 'deep space nine,' season 6, episode 19.

“In the Pale Moonlight” saw Sisko ( Avery Brooks ) trying to goad the Romulans into joining the Federation in a war against the Dominion, with the chances of losing becoming increasingly likely. He turned to Garak ( Andrew J. Robinson ), a former spy, for help to fabricate evidence of a Dominion plot to invade the Romulan Star Empire and giving it to a Romulan senator. When the senator realized the evidence was fake, Garak killed him. The episode is framed with Sisko recounting the events in his log.

Deep Space Nine is often regarded as a great Star Trek show with a reputation for darker storylines, and when it was at its best, it was often exploring stories like that of the Dominion War . “In the Pale Moonlight” was no exception . The episode was controversial yet memorable, still regarded now as one of the series’ best, with its theme of morality not always being black and white. It was also a great episode for Sisko especially.

11 "The Drumhead"

'the next generation,' season 4, episode 21.

After an explosion aboard the Enterprise damaged the warp core and injured several crewmembers in “The Drumhead,” evidence of sabotage pointed to a Klingon Exchange officer, thought to be a spy for Romulans. The incident led to a retired admiral boarding the Enterprise to investigate, and she became increasingly sure the Klingon wasn’t the only one involved, ultimately leading to Picard being accused of treason. The episode was directed by Jonathan Frakes , known for playing Riker.

“The Drumhead” was a compelling episode , with its courtroom-drama structure and themes of espionage and, more importantly, paranoia, as the admiral’s investigation became increasingly absurd. Courtroom dramas had been done in Star Trek before, but this was among the best of them . It was also a notable episode for Picard, as he expressed his concerns about how the investigation was playing out and ended up being one of its subjects.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

10 "in a mirror, darkly", 'enterprise,' season 4, episodes 18 and 19.

In the two-part Enterprise episode “In a Mirror, Darkly,” set in the Mirror Universe , Commander Archer ( Scott Bakula ) launches a mutiny against Captain Forrest ( Vaughn Armstrong ) on the Enterprise . After the Enterprise was destroyed, the crew was stranded aboard the USS Defiant , a ship from a parallel future universe, and Archer declared himself captain and intended to use the ship in a coup against the emperor. The episode was intended as a sequel to TOS episode “The Tholian Web.”

Enterprise finally realized its potential with “In a Mirror, Darkly,” the standout episode of the series, and the most popular one. It was an entertaining exploration of the Mirror Universe , a concept Star Trek fans quite enjoyed, with the evil counterparts of the series essentially providing a completely different show, devoid of the morality viewers were used to. The episode was also a great way to reference back to TOS .

Star Trek: Enterprise

9 "yesterday’s enterprise", 'the next generation,' season 3, episode 15.

The Enterprise-C was believed to have been destroyed 20 years prior in “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” only to emerge from a temporal anomaly and create an alternate timeline in which the Federation and Klingon Empire were at war, and the Federation was losing. Tasha Yar ( Denise Crosby ), who was killed in the first season, was alive and well. Only Guinan ( Whoopi Goldberg ) knew something was off, and she thought the only solution was to send the Enterprise-C back to its own time.

“Yesterday’s Enterprise” was a gritty episode of The Next Generation which explored time travel and alternate timelines . It was popular not only in Nielsen ratings in syndication, but many fans and TNG cast and crew alike, hail it as one of the series’ best. It also explored the theme of self-sacrifice and the greater good. As to put things right, the crew of the Enterprise-C had to accept and knowingly head towards their deaths.

8 "Darmok"

'the next generation,' season 5, episode 2.

In “Darmok, the Enterprise comes across a civilization which communicates solely through metaphors. They had been contacted before but were deemed impossible to communicate with, and their language could not be deciphered by the crew’s universal translator. Picard struggles in his attempts to communicate with them after being captured and trapped on an alien planet with their captain, Dathon ( Paul Winfield ), where they were attacked by a monster with the ability to disappear and reappear.

“Darmok” was a profound episode of The Next Generation and a notable one for Picard in particular. It demonstrated his commitment to nonviolence and peace , as he continuously thought Dathon wanted to fight, and he refused, as well as his patience and willingness to learn, all qualities which proved he was a great captain. While Dathon’s ultimate death was tragic, it helps solidify “Darmok” as a moving episode about communication.

7 "Memento Mori"

'strange new worlds,' season 1, episode 4.

The Enterprise went on a routine supply mission to a colony planet in “Memento Mori.” When they arrived, Spock ( Ethan Peck ) noticed the settlement’s communications satellite had been destroyed, leading Pike to send a landing party to investigate, who found no signs of human life but rather a gruesome scene with bloody drag marks but no bodies. The crew was ultimately attacked and forced to flee from the Gorn .

“Memento Mori” helped prove Strange New Worlds could be just as good as the classic, beloved Star Trek and is one of the standout episodes of the series, and it’s also among the best in the franchise . It was a compelling action-packed episode with a thrilling battle sequence and a cat-and-mouse game, and the Gorn proved to be a terrifying enemy. The episode also provided great insight into the characters of the Enterprise.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds can be streamed on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Watch On Paramount+

6 "The Measure of a Man"

'the next generation,' season 2, episode 9.

At a newly established Starbase in “The Measure of a Man,” Data ( Brent Spiner ) was ordered to be transferred and serve under Captain Bruce Maddox ( Brian Brophy ), who wanted to disassemble and study Data in order to create replicas of him. Data refuses and resigns instead, triggering a debate over whether he was considered a person with all the rights that entailed or if he was considered Starfleet property, with Picard defending Data’s humanity.

The Next Generation often dealt with Data’s humanity, and the aptly titled “The Measure of a Man” tackled the issue head-on. The episode is often held up as the first great episode of TNG ’s run . While it was a notable one for Data with a fantastic performance from Brent Spiner, Stewart also stood out, especially as Picard offered a passionate defense of Data. Picard and Maddox were also stark contrasts with one another, as Maddox never treated Data with any of the same respect he would a human.

5 "Cause and Effect"

'the next generation,' season 5, episode 18.

In “Cause and Effect,” the Enterprise was destroyed near a distortion in the space-time continuum, leading it and its crew to get caught in a time loop in which they continuously relived its destruction and their deaths over and over. As the loop reset each time, the crew began to hear strange things throughout the ship, leading them to realize what was happening. The episode was another directed by Frakes.

Some of Star Trek ’s strongest episodes have involved time travel , and “Cause and Effect” was no exception. Its Groundhog Day -like plot , although the episode was released before the film, was a familiar one that’s been explored time and time again, and Star Trek ’s take on it was particularly well-done. The episode told a compelling story, with high stakes for the crew, and was also notable for guest-starring Kelsey Grammer , then known for his role as Dr. Fraser Crane on Cheers .

4 "Inner Light"

'the next generation,' season 5, episode 25.

In “The Inner Light,” Picard is hit by a mysterious particle stream and knocked unconscious. In reality, no more than 20 minutes passed for the crew, but while unconscious, Picard experienced 40 years, a full life, as a man named Kamin living in a small village on a dying planet. At first, Picard resistes life as Kamin and tries to find a way back to the Enterprise . The purpose of his illusion of this life was to keep the memory of the planet and its people alive.

“The Inner Light” was a moving episode of The Next Generation , a fan-favorite often considered one of the best in the franchise . The episode gave Picard the normal life he’d given up for the Enterprise, complete with a wife and children, even grandchildren eventually, only to rip it away. The episode won the 1993 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, making it the first TV show to win since The Original Series won for “The City on the Edge of Forever.”

3 "The Best of Both Worlds" Parts 1 and 2

'the next generation,' season 3, episode 26 and season 4, episode 1.

In The Next Generation episode “The Best of Both Worlds,” the Borg attacked the Federation and were intent on conquering Earth, as well as determined to assimilate Picard into the public face of their campaign as Locutus of Borg, and they succeeded. Riker was also offered command of another ship, which he refused in order to stay with the Enterprise. The two-part episode laid the groundwork for the film Star Trek: First Contact , another high point in TNG .

The Borg were a formidable foe throughout TNG , appearing in some of the show’s best episodes, and “The Best of Both Worlds” was no exception. Often considered the best of the series , the episode proved what the series was capable of , adding complexity to the series. It was a thrilling episode with a brutal and bold cliffhanger. It was also a great episode for the show’s characters, particularly Picard and Riker.

2 "The City on the Edge of Forever"

'star trek,' season 1, episode 28.

After being accidentally injected with a powerful drug, Dr. McCoy jumped through a time portal on another planet, and he accidentally changed history so much, the Enterprise disappeared. Kirk and Spock followed to undo the damage, aiming for shortly before McCoy’s arrival, where they find one of the changes McCoy was responsible for was that the Nazis won World War II. To complicate matters, while they were in the past, Kirk fell in love.

“The City on the Edge of Forever” was classic Star Trek at its best , with themes of morality and the greater good, and what personal sacrifices someone is willing to make if it means doing the right thing. The time-travel plot was compelling on its own, as Kirk and Spock had to find McCoy and were met with a world that was drastically altered, and not for the better, but Kirk’s romance made it truly heartbreaking.

1 "The Visitor"

'deep space nine,' season 4, episode 2.

Deep Space Nine is set in the 24th century and follows people on a space station located near a stable wormhole in the Alpha and Gamma quadrants of the Milky Way Galaxy. Episode “The Visitor” was told in flashbacks by Sisko’s elderly son, Jake ( Cirroc Lofton ), after Sisko disappeared during a rare wormhole inversion, something which happened every 50 years, and Jake gave up writing and instead spent his life obsessively searching for Sisko.

“The Visitor” was a highly regarded and beloved episode in the Star Trek franchise, and also one of the most powerful, thanks to its emotional story and the performances of its cast. The episode was a great exploration of Sisko and Jake’s relationship. Their dynamic was already nice to watch, but this episode added even more to it with its story about the bond between parent and child. It also explored the ways in which obsession can destroy a person.

KEEP READING: The 10 Best Jean-Luc Picard Episodes on 'Star Trek,' Ranked