star trek purple hair

Star Trek's Biggest Crossover Ever Was Just Revealed — And It Looks Perfect

In Strange New Worlds Season 2, the gang’s all here: including Captain Kirk, and...Mariner, and Boimler from Lower Decks !

It’s happening! After three years of fan speculation, the animated world of Star Trek: Lower Decks will collide with the live-action Trek canon. Although USS Cerritos ensigns Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler reside in the 2380s, they’ll be heading back to 2259 very soon. At long last, the biggest Star Trek crossover is at hand: Strange New Worlds Season 2 will have its classic Trek party crashed by Lower Decks .

Released on May 24, a new trailer for Strange New Worlds Season 2 reveals a big look at the upcoming season, including more of Paul Wesley’s Captain Kirk — and some very good updates for Spock and Chapel shippers. But for fans of the newer shows, the biggest reveal here is easily our first look at Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid in live-action as their normally animated Lower Decks characters, Mariner and Boimler.

Rocking his signature purple hair, Jack Quaid (Boimler) looks perfect. When Spock wishes him “live long and prosper,” Boimler responds with the correct amount of goofy nervousness, saying, “You also live, um...” Although the lower deckers are chronologically closer to the Picard timeline, their vibe is clearly suited for the jaunty feeling of Strange New Worlds . (Not to mention, Lower Decks showrunner Mike McMahan punched up a few Strange New Worlds scripts in Season 1.)

Tawny Newsome also looks perfect as Mariner, the self-described “Kirk-like maverick” who (like Boimler) knows a lot about Starfleet history and is essentially a big in-universe fan of the entire canon. In the trailer, Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) narrates about the low probability of everyone on the Enterprise crew being together until Mariner drops in with the perfect punchline – “Surprise!”

It’s really happening.

We still don’t know how Mariner and Boimler will end up on the SNW version of the USS Enterprise . It literally is a surprise at this point. Some fans have guessed the whole thing will take place in a holodeck program in the future, but considering Jonathan Frakes is directing the episode that seems very unlikely. Frakes infamously appeared alongside Marina Sirtis in the finale of Enterprise in 2005, which put an episode of that series on a 24th-century holodeck. Later, Frakes deeply regretted that episode.

So surely the Lower Decks / Strange New Worlds crossover won’t use the same conceit. Which, probably means time travel. And if that’s the case, Lower Decks is about to be part of the backstory of The Original Series . Because if Spock remembers Boimler, does that mean... everyone else in TOS does, too?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds hits Paramount+ on June 15, 2023.

This article was originally published on May 24, 2023

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Costume Designer On Adapting Lower Decks Costumes From Animation To Live-Action [Exclusive]

Non-Trekkies approaching "Star Trek" for the first time may find themselves a little frustrated by the franchise's tendency to swap out uniforms. One might wonder, for instance, why Captain Kirk ( William Shatner ) wore a golden uniform in the original "Star Trek" while Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) wore a red one in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." It seemed that, at some point, operations officers and command officers swapped colors for no adequately explained reason. Also, why did Starfleet return to the primary-color uniforms after the jacket-like, high-collared uniforms of the "Star Trek" movies? 

The color swap may finally be addressed in an upcoming crossover special between "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," a live-action show, and "Star Trek: Lower Decks," an animated one. The former show is set immediately before the events of the original "Star Trek," when captains were still wearing gold. The latter takes place shortly after the end of "Star Trek: Voyager" a century later, where captains wore red, and uniforms have more accents and zig-zag patterns. Given the lighthearted tone of both shows, it seems that a comment on the color swap might make for a throw-off joke that, regardless, will become official "Star Trek" canon. 

There will also be the additional challenge of adapting the animated uniforms into actual clothes for live-action actors (the crossover will be in live-action). /Film's own Vanessa Armstrong  recently talked to "Strange New Worlds" costume designer Bernadette Croft about what might be required in the transition, and what the blank-colored animated clothes would look like when fitted to real human bodies. 

What to include

One might note just from looking at the pictures that the uniforms in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" are far more textured than the uniforms from classic "Star Trek" and "Next Generation" episodes. The older uniforms were solid colors and made from a non-wrinkly polyester-looking material. It wouldn't be until the 2009 "Star Trek" film that the uniforms would begin to incorporate a textured microprint, lending them a more shadowed, dynamic look. That texture would carry over into "Star Trek: Discovery" as well as "Strange New Worlds." "Lower Decks," of course, is animated in a broad stylized design, and that sort of detail wasn't included. The question then arises: Do the live-action "Lower Decks" uniforms include the microprint? Croft recalls asking herself that, and had to make some decisions about color. In her words: 

"The key things to consider were: Were we going to use microprint on the uniforms? Should the fabric and colors be the same as the 'Strange New Worlds' uniforms? Interestingly, when you see the animation, the color of the pants is charcoal, they're not black. And also, the soles of the boots have this distinct logo. Even the way Mariner wears her uniform in this nonchalant way, she has her sleeves rolled — these are all very important references for me and I always had to take note of those particular things." 

Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) is one of the lead "Lower Decks" characters and fancies herself a rule-breaker and a rogue, something that has kept her an ensign for many years. Newsome will also be playing Mariner in live-action, and it seems Croft was sensitive to the way she wears her clothes in animated form.

Boimler's hair

One might also note that Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) had purple hair in his "Lower Decks" animated form. What's more, it's styled to be sticking up in three messy points at all times. This is a classic design technique that assures audiences will be able to instantly recognize a character by their silhouette alone. For several episodes of "Lower Decks," one might be forgiven for thinking that Boimler's purple hair was merely a stylized way to depict a natural, dark color. It wouldn't be until later in the series that he mentions that he's "not a natural purple." 

Quaid will be playing Boimler in the "Strange New Worlds" crossover, and questions had to be asked about creating the correct shade of purple, and if the style should be changed into something more "real world." Croft, being in charge of the costumes, could only wait for the "Strange New Worlds" hair and makeup department to make their decision about Boimler's hair. And while Croft doesn't reveal what exact grade of plum was ultimately selected — it will have to remain a surprise for audiences — she did say that she liked it. In Croft's words: 

"I was very curious to see how purple we were going to go with Boimler's hair. They tested a few options, which was really interesting. Throughout prep, we consulted with the 'Lower Decks' showrunner Mike McMahan. He had to be involved to help us balance all of these elements so that it made sense for both shows. I cannot wait for this episode. I've seen it and it's so funny." 

The second season of "Strange New Worlds" will debut on June 15, 2023. A teaser that has since been taken down gave us a very, very, very brief glimpse of Mariner and Boimler in live-action. Commence excitement.

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STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Season 2 trailer and Bradward’s mysterious hair affair

The crossover of the century is almost here!

Cowboy Captain Christopher Pike ( Anson Mount ) is about to learn a thing or two about flying from Erica Ortegas ( Melissa Navia ), the most badass and outspoken Starfleet pilot in the Federation fleet, and a thing or two about fun from two of the most badass ensigns serving on California class vessels, in the latest trailer for the second season of the critically acclaimed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Season 2 will premiere on Thursday, June 15, 2023.

Today, Paramount+ debuted the second official trailer for the highly anticipated second season of  Strange New Worlds , alongside new official key art and first-look images. First announced during a San Diego Comic-Con 2022 panel hosted by lifelong Trekkie Lea Thompson , the trailer revealed a first look at the previously announced special crossover episode with  Star Trek: Lower Decks ‘  Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner and Jack Quaid as Bradward Boimler in live-action form aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise . The highly anticipated episode, which will also feature animation, was directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation and  Star Trek: Picard  actor and director Jonathan Frakes .

The Mysterious Affair of Bradward’s Purple Hair

Excitingly, Trekkies will finally learn more about Bradward’s purple hair in  Strange New World ‘s second season. According to Quaid in the audio commentary for the finale, “The Stars at Night,” of the third season of  Lower Decks , although the color was meant to represent dark color in animation code, the color took on a different meaning thanks to fans. Because of this, when Boimler crossed over into live-action, there had to be a discussion about whether his hair would be purple or a dark color.

“People are like, ‘I love his purple hair, I love his purple hair!'” Quaid said . “To the point where I did this  Strange New Worlds  thing, and that was like a whole discussion… ‘Should we make it dark, should we make it purple?'”

The Boys actor continued that he put his spacewalkin’ boot down when it came to Bradward’s hair color. “‘No, it has to look purple. At least in certain lights, we have to make sure it’s purple,'” he said.

“I don’t even know if I can say it yet, but in that episode of  Strange New Worlds , we do tell you why it’s purple… There is an answer there.”

Such Strange Heights

Strange New Worlds  Season 2 premieres on June 15 on Paramount+. In addition to starring Mount as Captain Pike and Navia as Ortegas, it also stars  Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M’Benga. Season 2 also features the return of special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk, and replacing Chief Engineer Hemmer ( Bruce Horak ) will be a new addition Carol Kane in a recurring role as Pelia.

In the second season of  Strange New Worlds , the U.S.S. Enterprise crew, under Captain Christopher Pike’s command, confronts increasingly dangerous stakes, explores uncharted territories, and encounters new life and civilizations. The crew will also embark on personal journeys that will continue to test their resolve and redefine their destinies. Facing new and familiar friends and enemies, their adventures will unfold in surprising ways never seen before on any Star Trek series.

Season two of Strange New Worlds  is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners. Goldsman, Myers, Alex Kurtzman , Jenny Lumet , Aaron Baiers , Heather Kadin , Frank Siracusa , John Weber , Rod Roddenberry , and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Watch the full trailer below:

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Violaceans are tall humanoids with purple skin and light brown hair. They are not one of the founding races of the United Federation of Planets , although they have been a member for centuries.

• 1 Physical features
• 2 Other information
• 3 Missions involved
• 5 Duty officers
• 6 External links

Physical features [ | ]

Violaceans are a fairly typical humanoid species. Their main distinguishing trait is their purple skin.

Other information [ | ]

Violaceans are most often seen as ambassadors. One of their most notable endeavors was helping negotiate the historic Babel Conference.

Missions involved [ | ]

• “Return to Babel” : Several attend the Babel Conference aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise .

Duty officers [ | ]

External links [ | ].

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Published Sep 2, 2023

Celebrating the Beards of Star Trek for World Beard Day

Looking back at the glorious beards in the Star Trek universe.

StarTrek.com

Today is World Beard Day .

We're not sure who exactly determined this, but everyone on Facebook is going bananas with pictures. But why limit yourself? Why not Out-of-This-World Beard Day?

When it came to facial topography, Star Trek was certainly better known for pointy ears and ridged foreheads, but over the five decades, there was some finagling of the follicles. So in celebration of this hair-raising celebration, we've decided to scratch our chins and list the Four Best Beards on Star Trek .

4. Picard's Possible Future Beard

"All Good Things..."

If you are going to rant and rave about something as nutty as “anti-time,” while annoying all of your old colleagues, best to have a scraggly white beard to do it in.

Star Trek: The Next Generation 's “ All Good Things... ” (truly the greatest finale episode in any major show ever, let's be honest) skips around the timeline, but you always want to be in the (possible) future to see Sir Patrick Stewart sporting a beard. He had facial hair in a few other scenarios, but this one is certainly the best.

3. Bones' Retirement Beard

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Despite its, shall we say, patient pacing, there is a lot going on at the beginning of Star Trek: The Motion Picture . So much so that it may take a while before you realize that we're missing a key player.

After the transporter accident that kills Sonak, we hear some commotion about someone who doesn't want to beam aboard. (Who can blame him?) It's our beloved country doctor Leonard McCoy with his shirt half open exposing a shiny medallion and sporting a full lumberjack beard. He's grousing about Admiral Nogura's seldom-used reverse activation clause.

“In simpler language, Captain, they drafted me!” He soon cleans up and is back at his post, but the image never fades away.

2. Mirror Universe Spock

"Mirror, Mirror"

I've written before about the shock that accompanied the first glimpse of Mirror Universe Spock . Even before we knew what “ Mirror Mirror ” was going to be about, we could tell, from one close-up, that our beloved logical half-Vulcan was now, somehow EVIL. It's amazing what a few follicles and some spirit gum can do!

The “dark goatee to denote evil twin” was such a winner that it became easily recognized pop culture shorthand, and was directly parodied on Futurama and South Park . (And Enterprise 's own Mirror Universe episodes kept it going with Ambassador Soval.)

1. William T. Riker

"Second Chances"

Of course, it is Will Riker at number one. (I mean, c'mon, he's Number One!)

Spock's Mirror Universe beard may have had a greater impact on culture at large, but within the world of Star Trek , we know Riker's beard is where it's at. In Season 1 of The Next Generation , the Enterpris e-D's First Officer still seemed like he was on some unsure footing. But when he came back in Season 2 with his more rugged, masculine look , it was “Shields Up!” All the ladies loved him, all the men envied him, and our crew really clicked into place. Mirror Spock's Beard is the facial hair of evil, but Riker's is grooming for good.

Now's the time to get out the razors and tell me what other ones would make your top list. I'd like to see someone make a case specifically for Thomas Riker!

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This article was originally published on September 3, 2015.

Jordan Hoffman is a writer, critic and lapsed filmmaker living in New York City. His work can also be seen on Film.com, ScreenCrush and Badass Digest. On his BLOG, Jordan has reviewed all 727. On his BLOG, Jordan has reviewed all 727 Trek episodes and films, most of the comics and some of the novels.

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How Star Trek brought the 'chaos bomb' of Lower Decks to Strange New Worlds

Jack Quaid, Tawney Newsome, Ethan Peck, and episode director Jonathan Frakes preview the buzzed-about crossover episode.

Having the actors behind Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner on the set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds went pretty much as you'd expect. Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome portrayed their animated characters from Lower Decks for the first time in live-action for the long-hyped crossover episode , directed by William Riker himself, Jonathan Frakes . According to Quaid, Newsome inadvertently broke some stuff.

"Tawny broke a lot of buttons and knobs and little things on the ship because she just couldn't stop touching things," the actor tells EW in an interview conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. "I would see her just fiddling around. She's been a Star Trek fan since she was a kid, so that was insane for her to actually be on the Enterprise." Newsome feigns shock when she hears Quaid shared that story. "Here I am just saying glowing things about my friends and he's over here blowing up my spot, talking about how I broke s---," she jokes. "He's right, though. I did. I broke so many things. Literally on my first day, we're in deep background, not even in the foreground of the shot, and I leaned on a panel and put my elbow through it. Immediately a props person had to come up and fix it. I think that the Enterprise is a real place, and I thought that every button was there for me to push."

Meanwhile, Quaid, in true Boimler fashion, couldn't help but geek out over working with folks like Frakes and current Spock actor Ethan Peck. "There were definitely moments of fanboying, but I have the same feeling too," Peck says. "I can't believe that I get to be booping these buttons on the bridge of the Enterprise."

Boimler and Mariner bring a similar energy when they arrive in the orbit of Captain Pike ( Anson Mount ) and his crew. Newsome uses the phrase "chaos bomb" to describe the dynamic. Quaid concurs: "Our characters are complete agents of chaos on that show."

Spoimler and Marhura

In the seventh episode of Strange New Worlds season 2, "Those Old Scientists," written by Kathryn Lyn and Bill Wolkoff, the animated Boimler is inadvertently thrown back in time and finds himself at the doorstep of the U.S.S. Enterprise, now in live-action form. "Then just as we've milked all the fish-out-of-water elements, in comes Mariner and the stakes get higher because she brings a brand-new energy to the room," Frakes explains.

Boimler naturally fawns over one of his idols, Spock, a vibe that extends offscreen. Quaid and Peck met years earlier at a Dragon Con convention in Atlanta, and quickly bonded as two Los Angeles-born-and-raised actors who come from Hollywood families. (Quaid is the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, while Peck is the son of Stephen Peck and grandson of Gregory Peck.) They soon earned the nickname "Spoimler" on set. "When I heard that he was coming on, I was so excited," Peck remarks of Quaid. "He and I got along famously."

According to Newsome, the plan in the early stages of the Lower Decks , Strange New Worlds crossover was "primarily just a Boimler episode with very little Mariner." But as the story developed, with input from Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan and Star Trek producers Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and Henry Alonso Myers, Mariner became a more prominent element.

While Quaid and Peck had Spoimler, Newsome ended up with a "Marhura" relationship with Celia Rose Gooding's Uhura. "When we were chatting early on with Henry and Akiva, they asked me, 'Who would you be excited to see Mariner with?'" Newsome recalls. "And I said, 'I think we gotta have her talk to Uhura.' I think we need to see where these two very different characters might find some common ground. I was thinking of it from a comedic standpoint. Uhura, when she's that young, is so buttoned up and worried about following the rules correctly and where she fits versus where Mariner is, which is delightful chaos, a tornado of breaking [the rules] and asserting her own personality."

Newsome credits Frakes for giving her and Quaid "so much permission." Peck describes shooting seasons 1 and 2 of Strange New Worlds nearly back-to-back during the COVID-19 pandemic as "so intense and grueling." He adds, "The pace to me is so breakneck." Then comes the Lower Decks stars, who are used to ad-libbing and improvising alternate takes in the voiceover booth. "They bring a really boisterous and fun energy to set," Peck says. "I can be so focused on my work and serious and intense because that's the character I play most of the time. So, it was really great to have that levity."

As Quaid says of the ad-libbing, "I was really just asking for forgiveness, not permission on that set."

"It made me feel like I'm really in Starfleet"

Quaid rewatched episodes of Lower Decks to find specific mannerisms of the animated Boimler to bring into live-action. "I'm pretty sure I do the Section 31 speed walk," he says, referring to a scene from season 1, episode 2. (Boimler claims all the folks from Section 31 walk a certain hurried way to conserve energy, but Mariner is quick to point out it doesn't make him faster.) "He made sure to get that in there," Newsome confirms, though she had a different approach to live-action Mariner. "I was kind of like, 'Mariner's me, she's just more animated, literally and figuratively.' So, I just thought, 'I know what to do, I know how to make these lines funny,'" she says.

They both, however, were hands on with the physical looks of their characters. Newsome had many conversations with makeup artist Scotia Boyd about giving Mariner a "winged liner." She also workshopped her hair style. Newsome was determined to have curls. "In my head, I'm like, 'I feel like she's got a full head of curly hair,'" she says.

When it came to Boimler's purple hair, Quaid notes, "The wig process was interesting." He originally planned to dye his hair, but he figured that would tip fans off to what they were planning. "This was all really top secret, and I was in Toronto getting recognized walking down the street with Tawny," he explains. Then, of course, there were his other commitments to consider. One was The Boys season 4. The other was Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer . "I was shooting Oppenheimer right up until I went to shoot Strange New Worlds ," he says. "Dying your hair just takes a while, and you have to do it a few times, and you have to make sure it's right. I just didn't really quite have the time."

The crew tested a few different wigs on Quaid. "The level of purple in Boimler's hair, believe me, was a subject on the set," Frakes admits. "We tried a few different colors of wigs," Quaid adds. "There was one that was a little more cartoonishly purple and we screen-tested a bunch. That one just didn't quite work because I looked like an anime character. We settled on this slightly more subdued, more realistic purple."

Then came the Starfleet uniforms themselves. "The costume fittings felt like a bunch of fans geeking out," Newsome says of working with costume designer Bernadette Croft. The actress remembers Croft making their live-action suits a darker red than they appear in Lower Decks so they wouldn't clash with the Strange New Worlds costumes. She also remembers Frakes coming in for the final fitting to offer his own two cents, having worn his fair amount of Starfleet uniforms as a Star Trek actor. "[He] talked about the point of the top," Newsome remembers. "He was like, 'If the top points at too sharp of an angle, the end is gonna flip up' — and you can tell this man is speaking from lived experience and trauma."

On a more serious note, Newsome recognizes that animation doesn't always get the respect it deserves in the industry. So, getting to actually wear the uniform on one of the major live-action Star Trek shows, she says, "It made me feel like I'm really in Starfleet."

"Something about Tawny and I both being in Toronto and trying on those uniforms for the first time and seeing each other as the characters, it was all very surreal, but so much fun," Quaid notes. "That whole experience was just living out a nerd fantasy."

All interviews for this story were conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

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Related content:

• Star Trek: Lower Decks stars enter the world of live action in first look at Strange New Worlds crossover
• Jack Quaid formed a 'Spoimler' bromance with Ethan Peck on Star Trek crossover event
• Star Trek sets crossover event with animated Lower Decks and live-action Strange New Worlds

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Jack Quaid says his characters from The Boys and Star Trek might actually bond

(Credit: Amazon and CBS All Access)

Whether his characters are living in the 24th century or in a world controlled by vicious, immoral superheroes, Jack Quaid knows how to convey speculative stress. For fans of the dark, ruminative series  The Boys , Quaid is one of the titular anti-superhero vigilantes, Hughie, but to  Star Trek fans, he's the voice of Bradward Boimler, the eager-to-please Starfleet ensign who desperately wants to be promoted and get caught following — and loving — every rule in the book. Although genre fans probably recognize him for the fame  The Boys  has brought him, it's reasonable to assume his new role in  Star Trek: Lower Decks   will prove immortal. After all, fellow  Boys  co-star Karl Urban hasn't been in a Trek movie since 2016, but for a huge portion of the population, he'll always be Dr. "Bones" McCoy. And, funnily enough, those films are directly connected to Quaid's pre- Lower Deck s intro to Trek . 

"My first real exposure to Star Trek was that 2009 J.J. Abrams Kelvin-timeline reboot," Quaid tells SYFY WIRE. "It was an absolutely perfect movie in terms of getting a whole new generation excited about Star Trek. Even though I was in high school and on a super-awkward teenage date when I went to go see it, I still liked it." Prior to landing the role of  Lower Decks ' loveable suck-up, Quaid admits he didn't share the deep knowledge of the Trek universe that Boimler does. But, he also knew he had to cram and research as much as possible because he felt the character wouldn't click if he didn't.

"I tried to do as much Star Trek research as I could before recording but there’s only so much one can do," Quaid reveals. "Thankfully, [showrunner] Mike McMahan was there to help explain everything so I knew the context of every joke and reference. You can’t be funny without context and Star Trek has a lot of context. Mike was super helpful throughout the process and even recommended specific episodes and movies for me to check out. He single-handedly transformed me from passing Trek fan to a full-blown Trekkie."

Credit: CBS All Access

If you haven't watched  Lower Decks  yet, Ensign Boimler, in some ways, serves as the audience surrogate for the entire series, assuming the audience is composed of full-blown Trekkies who, like Boimler, would love every aspect of their job working on a starship in the 24th century. Boimler's knowledge of arcane Trek lore probably rivals that of the people watching the show because, let's face it, even the most hardcore fan had to look up the name "Roga Danar" when Boimler outrageously claimed him as the biggest bada** of all-time in Episode 8,  "Veritas ." But Quaid explains that playing Boimler as one-note wonder would have gotten old real fast. There's more to Brad than sucking up, freaking out, or being a know-it-all. As Mariner (Tawny Newsome) says in the first episode, Boimler is "an ambitious little weasel, and inside that little weasel might be a  tiny  human being."

"He's freaking out most of the time cause he has almost no street smarts, but he’s also a super-intelligent Starfleet nerd who knows every little bit about the Federation and the adventures they’ve been on," Quaid says. "There’s always a danger that your character gets locked into one pattern of behavior. A lot of that is writing and Lower Decks has some amazing writers. From a performance standpoint, I just try to change it up as much as possible. For example, if I see that Brad has to freak-out a couple of times in an episode, I try to make each freakout different from the other ones so that he doesn’t just keep repeating the same bits in the same way."

Part of the way this works on  Lower Decks  is just the fact that the line delivery from Quaid and the other cast members is hysterical, and often, unexpected. When Boimler tells Mariner that Roga Danar is the biggest bada** ever, he doesn't try to convince her with his signature freakout energy. The reason it's so funny is that he  calmly  asserts that somebody who almost nobody remembers is super-awesome and deadly. Basically, Quaid reveals that Boimler is funny because there are subtle jokes you may have not even noticed. 

"In terms of the delivery of the lines, that’s very much a collaboration between Mike and me," he says. "Sometimes my instincts are dead-on and my first choice is the one they go with, and sometimes Mike has to guide me toward something different. Then there are times when we discover something together or something random happens and we just leave it in. Those are my favorites.

"The best example of that I can think of is the fact that Boimler occasionally calls Captain Freeman  'cap’n' instead of 'captain,'" he continues. "That just came from Mike and I screwing around in the booth. We both found it funny that this guy who’s constantly sucking up to the captain has a hard time actually saying the word 'captain' for some reason. His brain defaults to this weird folksy version of the word. Such a weird bit. I can’t believe they kept it in but I think it works for Bradward. I think his brown-nosing comes from a deep desire to make his mark on the world. He wants the captain’s chair so bad, he just doesn’t quite have the experience yet and won’t for a long time. But he’s learning!"

This week,  Lower Decks  will finish its first season run, although a second season has already been greenlit, and, with all likelihood, will debut before  Picard  Season 2 or  Strange New Worlds  Season 1.

Like the vast majority of the cast members of Lower Decks , it's easy to squint and imagine Quaid playing a live-action version of Brad Boimler in some future incarnation of Trek , a notion that he says he's totally ready for. "Yes! A thousand times yes!" Quaid says. "I think almost every member of the cast could reasonably play their cartoon counterparts. Maybe with the exception of Gillian Vigman as Dr. T’ana, but that’s only because she’s not a cat-person in real life. But then again, there’s always CGI and mo-cap suits, right? And, yes, I would keep my hair purple for as long as I could but I can’t be showing up on the set of The Boys with purple hair. Unless there’s something happening in Season 3 I don’t know about yet."

For now, we don't know what the future holds for Boimler in Season 2 of  Lower Decks , but the finale promises to be interesting. Though this is a small-ish Trek series, Quaid's Boimler helps give  Star Trek: Lower Decks  a very big heart. In fact, this desire to be good is something Quaid thinks Boimler  might  have in common with his character on  The Boys , Hughie. 

"I don’t know if they’d be  best friends but they could probably get along for an afternoon," he says. "I think Boimler is too much of a suck-up for Hughie’s taste and I think Hughie is a little too much of a rule-breaker for Boimler. But they could definitely bond over their mutual anxiety and the times they’ve spent covered in goo."

The  Star Trek: Lower Decks  Season 1 finale airs on CBS All Access on Thursday, Oct. 8.

The Boys  is streaming now on Amazon Prime. 

• Star Trek: Lower Decks

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Star Trek Confirms Doctor Phlox's Fate Centuries After ENTERPRISE

Star trek confirms captain shaw's story isn't over, star trek fleet command codes (june 2024).

When  Star Trek: The Original Series  entered production, there was no way that any of the actors or crew knew what they were getting into. For many of the people who worked on the show, it was just another television job that would soon be replaced by another, yet  Star Trek: The Original Series  would go on to become one of the most influential TV shows of all time, to the point where  Star Trek  projects are still being made to this day.

The budget on  Star Trek: The Original Series  was extremely limited, which meant that the aliens that appeared were often just actors in makeup, with prosthetics and full suits being a rare sight on the show. When  Star Trek returned in the form of the movies, the production budget increased to the point where the aliens could look more impressive than before.

The aliens that have appeared in the various  Star Trek  series have a tendency to change between each iteration. The changing standards of special effects are one reason for this, while a change in personality to suit a brand new storyline is often the other.

The  Star Trek aliens have been known to totally change within the space of a single appearance without any kind of explanation or discussion from the characters within the show.

We are here today to see how the most iconic  Star Trek  aliens changed between their appearances - from the Klingons who strapped a pastry to their head, to the changing priorities of the Borg.

Here are Twenty Alien Races From Star Trek That Completely Changed (And It Made No Sense).

The Klingons

The Klingons underwent the most drastic physical change out of any of the races in  Star Trek.

When the Klingons were introduced in  Star Trek: The Original Series,  they looked just like humans with copper-colored skin and odd facial hair. The  Star Trek  movies established that the Klingons had forehead ridges, which became the established look for the race.

The reason why Klingons looked so different in  Star Trek: The Original Series  was teased several times during the TNG era, but we wouldn't receive an official reason why until  Star Trek: Enterprise,  where it was established that the humanoid Klingons were a result of a genetic engineering experiment gone wrong and that these physical changes would eventually become reversible.

The Ferengi

Gene Roddenberry had originally wanted to avoid using any of the classic  Star Trek  aliens when creating  Star Trek: The Next Generation,  which didn't work out, but he still made a lot of new foes for the  Enterprise  to encounter.

The Ferengi were originally planned to replace the Klingons as the new warlike race of the show. The Ferengi we saw in "The Last Outpost" bounced around like animals and the cast of the show didn't take them seriously as a threat.

As time went on, the Ferengi were redefined as a species who were obsessed with money and their original militaristic ambitions were forgotten, to the point where the Ferengi were known for hiring mercenaries from other species rather than putting themselves in danger.

The changes to the Ferengi were a positive move, as they were a joke when they were first introduced, but they found a place in the series as a means of making fun of modern-day capitalism.

The Vulcans

In the classic episode of  Star Trek: The Original Series  called "Amok Time," it's revealed that Spock is undergoing a Vulcan physiological change called the pon farr, which involves mating with another being or perishing.

It was clearly stated in "Amok Time" that only Vulcan males underwent the pon farr and that it was a closely guarded secret of Vulcan society.

Star Trek: Enterprise  threw continuity out of the window when T'Pol underwent the pon farr in "Bounty," with episodes set in the mirror universe also establishing that she had lived through the pon farr.

One can't help but wonder if retconning the pon farr so that it affected females was just an excuse to make Jolene Blalock act so crazy on camera.

The philosophy of the Borg species has changed several times over the course of  Star Trek.  When the Borg were first introduced, Q claimed that they were only interested in technology and had no desire to assimilate the crew of the  Enterprise. 

When the Borg next showed up, they suddenly decided that they wanted to assimilate all life in the universe, even though  Star Trek: Voyager  would later reveal that the Borg refused to assimilate the Kazon due to them being unworthy.

The Borg were also meant to be a single collective being, yet they suddenly had a leader in the form of the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact , with no explanation as to why they needed a ruling entity in the first place.

The Cardassians

The Cardassians became a major part of  Star Trek  lore in  Deep Space Nine,  but they had already been introduced as a threat to the Federation in  The Next Generation. 

The first Cardassians we saw in  Star Trek: The Next Generation  were introduced in "The Wounded," where they sported radically different uniforms and an officer named Gul Macet was even sporting facial hair.

The familiar look of the Cardassians was established in later episodes of  Star Trek: The Next Generation,  with the previous aesthetic used in "The Wounded" being ignored. Gul Macet is still the only Cardassian to ever have facial hair.

The first member of the Trill species that appeared in  Star Trek  was Odan, who appeared in an episode of  Star Trek: The Next Generation  called "The Host," where a lot of the rules of joined Trills were established.

It was established in "The Host" that a joined Trill could not use the transporter without damaging the symbiont inside of them. Odan's original host body and the female one that appears at the end of the episode also lacked the signature feline spots of the other Trill in the series.

When Jadzia Dax was created for  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,  the transporter limitation from "The Host" was ignored and her physical traits were used for the default appearance of other Trill in later episodes.

You can't really blame the producers of  Star Trek: Enterprise  for wanting to change the look of the Gorn, as the original Gorn captain who appeared in  Star Trek: The Original Series  was just a guy in a terrible-looking costume.

Captain Kirk had to battle a Gorn captain in "Arena," which involved a costume that is still mocked by fans to this day.

A Gorn warrior appeared in the  Star Trek: Enterprise  episode "In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II" where it was created using only CGI and had its design updated to make it look more like a dinosaur.

The CGI Gorn managed to look way worse than the one from "Arena," despite the advances in technology that the producers of  Star Trek: Enterprise  had access to.

The Bajorans

The story of the occupation and freedom of Bajor appeared throughout  Star Trek: The Next Generation  and  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  The first Bajoran we saw in  Star Trek  was Ro Laren and she set the aesthetic standard for the rest of the species, which was changed in later seasons without explanation.

When the Bajorans were introduced in  Star Trek: The Next Generation,  they had several small ridges running up their nose. The Bajorans that appeared in later seasons lost the nose ridges, which included Ro Laren, even though she had them when she was first introduced. Ro Laren is one of the few individual characters whose appearance was retconned within the space of a few years.

Betazoid Hybrids

Counsellor Troi had a human father and a Betazoid mother, which meant that she only inherited a portion of the psychic powers of her mother's race. A Betazoid person has access to telepathy, while a human/Betazoid hybrid can only feel the emotions of others instead of interpreting their direct thoughts.

The nature of Counsellor Troi's powers actually changed within the space of a single episode. When Troi was introduced in "Encounter at Farpoint," it was established that she was an Empath, yet she is later able to send mental messages to Riker, which is an ability she never used again for the rest of the series.

The most likely explanation for Troi's power discrepancy is that the writers still hadn't decided on the nature of her psychic abilities when the pilot for  Star Trek: The Next Generation  was being filmed.

The Romulans

The Romulans from  Star Trek: The Original Series  looked just like the Vulcans, which was later revealed to be a symptom of the shared ancestry between the two species.

When the Romulans returned in  Star Trek: The Next Generation,  they now sported large V-shaped protrusions on their foreheads, even though the Romulans who appeared in the  Star Trek  movies still looked just like Vulcans.

The Romulans also toned down their ancient Rome gimmick and started wearing some truly gaudy outfits with giant shoulder pads, but that was more a result of the producers wanting to leave behind the purple & silver uniforms seen in  Star Trek: The Original Series. 

The Bolians

The Bolians were a race of blue-skinned humanoids that had a thin cut running down the length of their face. There were several Bolian officers in Starfleet who were seen sporadically throughout the  Star Trek  TV shows and movies.

The very first Bolian to appear in  Star Trek: The Next Generation  was Captain Rixx of the USS  Thomas Paine,  who attended a secret meeting with Captain Picard during the events of "Conspiracy" in order to uncover the truth about strange occurrences at Starfleet.

Captain Rixx looked nothing like the rest of the Bolians in the series, as he had greyish-pink skin and the cut didn't run down the entire length of his face. It seems that the design of the Bolians was refined as the series went on.

The Tiburonians

The Tiburonian race suffered from the same budgetary issues as the Vulcans, which is why the extent of their extraterrestrial biology was limited to their ears. While the Vulcans had pointed ears, the Tiburonians had huge cauliflower ears that looked like they were made from a cheap substance and had just been glued onto the side of some actor's head.

When a Tiburonian member of Starfleet was seen in  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,  the design of the ears had been refined and looked less like it was made from plastic. The tradeoff to this upgrade was that the Tiburonians now had dotted ridges that ran up the length of their head, in a similar manner to the line on the face of the Bolians.

The Caitians

Star Trek: The Animated Series  spawned an entire generation of fans when they introduced the Caitian race to Starfleet, due to the fact that the  Enterprise  now had a cat lady named M'Ress serving on the bridge.

You would think that the Caitian design would be too difficult to pull off on the screen, but the producers of  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home  actually did a pretty good job with two Caitian members of Starfleet.

It was actually  Star Trek Into Darkness  that changed the Caitians, as the two twins who are with Captain Kirk are meant to be Caitians, even though they look just like regular women with marks on their body and feline tails.  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets  managed to create a decent looking catgirl face, so  Star Trek Into Darkness  had no excuse for dropping the ball with the Caitians.

The Nausicaans

The Nausicaans that appeared on  Star Trek  were brutes whose main claim to fame was shanking Captain Picard in the back when he was younger, resulting in his need for an artificial heart.

The Nausicaans appeared in  Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager,  and  Star Trek: Enterprise, with their design changing slightly each time.

The design of the Nausicaans was altered in order for their faces to be less rectangular and for their teeth to be less pronounced, while their face and hands gained spikes. The forehead ridges of the Nausicaans also became more pronounced, to the point where they started to resemble those carried by Klingons.

The Talarians

Star Trek: The Next Generation  had a far bigger budget than that of  The Original Series,  yet some aliens still got the short end of the stick when it came to their design, with the Talarians from "Suddenly Human" being the prime candidates, as they looked just like humans except for a few small ridges on their head.

A Talarian with a radically different design appeared in  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  A person identified as a Talarian has the same forehead ridges as the previous members of the species, but his face was smooth and resembled a skull, with large protrusions coming out of his cheeks and running up the back of his head.

The Tarkaleans

The Tarkaleans underwent one of the most radical design changes in the history of  Star Trek,  even though some fans believe there was a mistake made during production that accounts for the change.

The Tarkaleans that appeared in  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  had brown skin with multiple lines on their face and a spiked chin that resembled a lizard. When the Tarkaleans returned in  Star Trek: Enterprise  they had a brand new design, with a much lighter skin tone and patches of sagging flesh added to their face, along with ridges to their forehead.

There are some fans who believe that the Tarkaleans from  Deep Space Nine  were actually meant to be members of another race called the Markalians and that Avery Brooks just messed up a line reading and gave them the wrong name.

The Rigelians

There were several different designs used by the Rigelian species in  Star Trek,  with the ones from "The Cage" looking like regular humans with fans, while Mr. Hengist from "Wolf in the Fold" looked like a regular human.

The Rigelians from  Star Trek: Enterprise  had a radically different design, as they had greyish-yellow skin that was lined with ridges and they now sported face paint and tattoo designs on their face.  

The reason for these discrepancies might be due to the fact that there are several numbered Rigel planets and their inhabitants may just all refer to themselves as Rigelians, regardless of their world of origin.

A similar design to the Rigelians was used for Jaylah in  Star Trek: Beyond,  to the point where she looks like a more refined version of the Rigelian species, especially in regards to the artwork on her head.

The Boslics

The Boslic species is another  Star Trek  race that is defined by a strange forehead, as a female Boslic captain appeared in  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine with a strange arrow-like groove running down her forehead.

We would see a male Boslic in a later episode of  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  with a radically different design, as he lacked the forehead groove and had Klingon-style ridges instead.

The female Boslic makeup would be used on male characters in  Star Trek: Voyager  and  Star Trek: Enterprise,  which meant that they had the grooved forehead instead of the Klingon-style one that had been established in  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. 

The Tellarites

The makeup used for the Tellarite race in  Star Trek: The Original Series  was actually one of the best on the show at the time, as the eye holes made them look spooky, which would have been even more effective on the old black & white television sets that were common in American households when the show was first being broadcast.

When the Tellarites were introduced in  Star Trek: The Original Series,  they had three-fingered hands that resembled animal claws, yet when they returned in  Star Trek: Enterprise,  they suddenly had regular five-fingered hands. The  Enterprise  version of the Tellarites also had a different nose that was less flat and didn't look so much like a snout as the one from their original design.

Star Trek  might be a science fiction franchise, but we rarely see psychic powers that can influence the real world in the hands of anyone other than godlike beings. There are entire races of people with psionic powers that can read minds (like the Betazoids and the Vulcans) but telekinesis and psychokinesis are far rarer talents.

The first member of the Vorta species we see in  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  was a woman named Eris, who possessed powerful telekinetic abilities. Eris used her powers to escape from Sisko when her plan to infiltrate Deep Space Nine failed.

Eris is the only member of the Vorta species to display telekinetic powers, despite how useful such an ability would have been during the Dominion War.

The Intricate Hair and Makeup Artistry Behind Deep Space Nine’s Haneek

C reating the appearance of Haneek, a Skrreean character on “Star Trek,” required an exceptional combination of hair and makeup expertise. The comprehensive process, crafted by “Star Trek” veteran makeup artist Michael Westmore, demanded early mornings and lengthy preparation for actress Deborah May.

May’s transformation into Haneek involved the meticulous application of a thin film, adorned with a rough texture akin to sand, glued to her face. It was constructed to appear as if the Skrreean skin was continuously flaking, a detail highlighted when May echoed the potential for bits of the ‘sand’ to be removed. Adding to the complexity, her hairdo integrated three distinct wig sections.

“My mornings started quite early, often spending over two hours in makeup. The combination of three wigs alongside layers of latex, gravel, and potentially cardboard granted Haneek that distinctive peeling look. Shedding the makeup at day’s end was equally involved. A 15-minute shower was necessary to amass a ‘bubble’ under the makeup before you could peel it gradually from forehead to chin. It was certainly a challenge for anyone prone to claustrophobia,” May recalled.

Within the “Deep Space Nine” series, such elaborate makeup was not unusual. It was commonplace for series staples, including Quark (Armin Shimerman), Odo (René Auberjonois), Ferengi, Cardassians, Klingons, Founders, and Jem-Hadar characters to also don full-face prosthetics and elaborate disguises. Westmore achieved new heights in his makeup artistry each week.

May’s liaison with “Star Trek” continued beyond Deep Space Nine, re-emerging in an episode of “Voyager” titled “Favorite Son,” where she portrayed Lyris, a Taresian convincing Ensign Kim (Garrett Wang) of his alien heritage. The “Star Trek” franchise has consistently maintained a supportive environment for its guest and supporting actors—even though their makeup and hair requirements might be quite strenuous.

FAQs about Deep Space Nine’s Haneek Makeup and Hair

Who was responsible for the Skrreean makeup on Haneek?

Michael Westmore, the renowned “Star Trek” makeup artist, designed the Skrreean makeup.

How long did it take to apply Haneek’s makeup?

Deborah May spent over two hours each morning in makeup to transform into Haneek.

What materials were used to create Haneek’s shedding skin effect?

The makeup team used layers of latex, gravel, and possibly cardboard to create the shedding skin effect for Haneek.

What process was involved in removing the makeup?

Removal required standing under a shower for at least 15 minutes to form a water ‘bubble’ under the makeup, followed by slowly peeling it off.

Did Deborah May appear in other “Star Trek” series besides “Deep Space Nine”?

Yes, she later appeared on “Star Trek: Voyager” in an episode titled “Favorite Son.”

Michael Westmore’s mastery in makeup artistry, paired with Deborah May’s dedication to her character, resulted in the memorable portrayal of Haneek on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” The process behind the Skrreean’s look is a testament to the creativity and painstaking detail that “Star Trek” puts into bringing alien species to life. With extensive preparation times and challenging removal procedures, the art of alien makeup on “Star Trek” remains an underappreciated yet integral part of the show’s storytelling magic and visual splendor.

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Taylor Swift Brings Her Eras Tour to France, Plus Antoni Porowski, Lizzo and More

From Hollywood to New York and everywhere in between, see what your favorite stars are up to

Alexandra Schonfeld is a features writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since April 2022. Her work previously appeared in Newsweek .

Stars have been everywhere this week, from Taylor Swift bringing her Eras Tour to France, to Antoni Porowski attending a pet event in New York City.

Here, the best photos of celebs out and about this week. Come back tomorrow for more of the latest A-list outings!

Bonjour, Taylor!

John Shearer/TAS24/Getty

Taylor Swift performs her Eras Tour at Groupama Stadium on June 2 in Lyon, France. 

Sara Jaye/Getty

Antoni Porowski attends Petco Love's 25th birthday block party and adoption event at Union Square Park on June 2 in New York City.

Awesome Ally

APEX / MEGA

Lizzo is seen promoting her Itty line at the West Hollywood Gay Pride Festival in Los Angeles, California, on June 2.

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty

Karen Pittman is seen onstage at The Morning Show Official Emmy FYC Event at Paramount Studios on June 2 in Los Angeles, California.

Ravishing in Red

CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty

Jennifer Aniston attends The Morning Show Official Emmy FYC Event at Paramount Studios on June 2 in Los Angeles, California.

Dazzling Diva

Sarah Morris/WireImage

Keke Palmer sparkles in a fishnet look at the OUTLOUD Music Festival at 2024 WeHo Pride in West Hollywood, California, on June 1.

Blooming with Pride

Amy Sussman/Getty

Janelle Monáe raises a toast while performing in a bold floral outfit onstage at the OUTLOUD Music Festival on June 1, in West Hollywood, California.

Furious Family

Tyrese Gibson, Vin Diesel and Cody Walker catch up together at FuelFest in Irwindale, California, on June 1.

Artist Salute

Kyle Rivas/Getty

Sheryl Crow honors fellow music icon Bob Marley in her T-shirt while performing at the 2024 Big Slick Celebrity Weekend in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 1.

Legends in the Game

Taylor Hill/Getty 

Nas , Ghostface Killah , and Beanie Sigel take to the stage together at the 2024 Roots Picnic in Philadelphia on June 1.

Sleek Style

 Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Noah Cyrus rocks super-long hair extensions and a silver latex dress while performing at the OUTLOUD Music Festival on June 1 in West Hollywood, California.

Still Got It

Taylor Hill/Getty

Method Man and Redman delight fans as they perform together at the 2024 Roots Picnic on June 1 in Philadelphia.

Breakthrough Star

TODD WILLIAMSON/JanuaryImages

Actress Jessica Gunning is all-smiles while attending the Netflix FYSEE: Baby Reindeer screening event in Los Angeles on June 1.

Mean Mugging

"Weird Al" Yankovic and Travis Kelce face off together as they attend the 2024 Big Slick Celebrity Weekend in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 1.

Bikini Beauty

Alexander Tamargo/Getty

Alix Earle strikes a pose in a bikini backstage at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway show during Miami Swim Week on June 1 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Roaring Riri

Rihanna is stylish during a night out in New York City on May 31.

Billie Joe Armstrong performs with Green Day at the Road to Rio Babel concert at the Caja Magica on June 1 in Madrid, Spain.

Dapper Dude

Rob Latour/Shutterstock

Jon Hamm poses on the red carpet at FX's Fargo FYC Event in Los Angeles, California, on June 1.

Jason Kempin/Getty

Lainey Wilson performs at the Ascend Amphitheater on May 31 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Showing His Support

Marc Anthony shows his support for team Miami in Marbella, Spain, for The E1 Series on June 1.

Head in the Game

Paul Rudd takes a swing at the Celebrity Softball game during the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend in support of Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 31.

Lost in the Music

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Lana Del Rey gives a moving performance onstage at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain, on May 31.

Close Chemistry

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Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans film scenes for their upcoming movie Materialists on some front door steps in the West Village of New York City on May 31.

Firing up the Stage

Michael Chang/Getty

Jelly Roll invites the crowd to sing with him while performing at Gulf Coast Jam on May 31 in Panama City Beach, Florida.

Out and Proud

Adam Lambert gives a vibrant performance in an all-black shiny leather look during the OUTLOUD Music Festival at 2024 WeHo Pride in West Hollywood on May 31.

Season Newcomer

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Rosie O'Donnell joins Cynthia Nixon on the season three set of And Just Like That... in New York City's Times Square on May 31.

Runway Walk

Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Alessandra Ambrosio exudes chic summer style in a bold red dress while out on a stroll in Los Angeles on May 31.

Feeling the Love

Amy Sussman/Getty 

Kesha smiles onstage at the crowd's reaction to her performance at the OUTLOUD Music Festival at 2024 WeHo Pride in West Hollywood on May 31.

International Star

Kristy Sparow/Getty

Burna Boy beams onstage during his performance on day one of the We Love Green Festival on May 31 in Paris.

Netflix Hit

Todd Williamson

Costars Liam Cunningham and John Bradley pose for a photo at the ATAS Official Screening of their hit Netflix show 3 Body Problem at FYSEE in Los Angeles on May 31.

Chilling on Set

Robert O'Neil/Backgrid / BACKGRID

Chris Evans appears to be in high spirits while filming Materialists in New York on May 31.

TheImageDirect.com

Rita Ora is all smiles while leaving The One Show in London after appearing on the show with Stephen Fry on May 30.

Daddy-Daughter Night

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Eric Dane hits the L.A. premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die with his daughters Billie Beatrice and Georgia Geraldine on May 30.

Always Iconic

Toni Braxton shows off her chiseled midriff before attending the premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die in L.A. on May 30.

When in Paris

Astra Marina/BFA.com

H.E.R. strikes a cute pose while attending the opening of Cadillac's flagship EV store Cadillac City Paris   and the unveiling of the new Cadillac Optiq in the City of Love on May 31.

With the Boys

Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage

Mike Love and John Stamos perform with the Beach Boys at Fox & Friends All-American Summer Concert Series on May 31 in New York City.

Dakota Johnson gives a soft smile as she hangs out on the set of Materialists in New York City.

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty

King Charles attends Ladies' Day at Epsom Downs Racecourse on May 31, 2024 in Epsom, England.

Just Beach-y

305pics/GC Images

Model Brooks Nader enjoys a beverage while on the beach in Miami on May 31.

In the Concrete Jungle

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Nicky Hilton enjoys the warm New York weather in a flowing dress on May 31.

Showing Love

Bonnie Biess/Getty

Joslyn DeFreece, Devin-Norelle, Nava Mau and Mila Jam pose for a pic while attending PFLAG National's Love Takes Pride: Celebrating Workplace Inclusion event at NeueHouse in New York on May 30. 

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Bailee Madison is super chic in her tennis-inspired 'fit as she arrives at Paris hotel after enjoying the French Open on May 30.

Rockin' Rock Star

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Always cool, Lenny Kravitz flashes a peace sign while exiting the Connaught Hotel in London on May 31.

Three Is Company

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Angelina Jolie and her daughter Vivienne pose with Kristen Bell at the opening night performance of Reefer Madness: The Musical at The Whitley in L.A. on May 30.

Longterm Lovebirds

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Jerry O'Connell plants a big smooch on his wife Rebecca Romijn as they attend the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 FYC Event in Los Angeles on May 30.

Belting Out the Tunes

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Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean and NSYNC's Joey Fatone give a hearty performance as part of the Joey Fatone & AJ McLean Present a Legendary Night tour in Niagra Falls, Ontario on May 30.

Having a Laugh

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The Bikeriders stars Austin Butler and Jodie Comer appear on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show at The Bike Shed on May 30 in Los Angeles.

A Family Affair

Will Smith 's family — wife Jada Pinkett Smith , mother-in-law Gammy Norris and kids Trey , Willow and Jaden Smith — show up to support him at the L.A. premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die on May 30.

A Family Slay

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Toni Braxton and her sons, Denim Braxton-Lewis (l) and Diezel Braxton-Lewis are dressed to the nines for the L.A. premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die at TCL Chinese Theatre on May 30.

Ariana Greenblatt rocks a killer denim ensemble with strutting through the streets of New York on May 30.

At the Premiere

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Robert De Niro and his costar William A. Fitzgerald bring it in for a quick pic while at the New York premiere of Bleecker Street's Ezra at the DGA Theater & The Lobster Club on May 30.

Lovers and Costars

Longtime loves and Ezra costars Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale are pictured at the New York premiere of Bleecker Street's Ezra at the DGA Theater & The Lobster Club on May 30.

Top of the Morning

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Nelly Furtado brings her bubbly personality to This Morning TV show while in London on May 31.

Out on the Town

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Neil Patrick Harris and his husband David Burtka smile for the cameras while at the opening night premiere of A House Is Not A Disco during NewFest Pride at SVA Theater on May 30 in New York City.

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Nick Viall looks cool and collected as he attends the Netflix Summer Break event on May 30 in Los Angeles.

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Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans are seen sharing laughs on the movie set of Materialists on May 30 in New York City. 

Rousing the Crowd

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Anitta brings the vibes to her performance during Today 's Citi Concert Series in New York on May 31.

Bring Your Mom to Work

Neve Campbell brings her mom Marnie Neve to the opening night performance of Reefer Madness: The Musical at The Whitley on May 30 in Los Angeles.

At the Ball Game

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Jimmy Jam and Snoop Dogg attend the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves during the Western Conference Finals at Target Center in Minneapolis on May 30.

A Royal Send Off

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King Charles III attends a Memorial Service for Sir Chips Keswick at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge in London on May 30. 

Party People

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Jacob Scipio and Tiffany Haddish hang out at the Bad Boys: Ride Or Die after party at the Sunset Tower Hotel on May 30 in Hollywood, California.

Woman of the Hour

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Lucy Hale attends the Townhouse Beverly Hills Opening with Lucy Hale and Juanita Huber-Millet on May 30 in Beverly Hills, California.

Men at Work

Director Spike Lee and actor Dean Winters are seen on the set of High and Low in the Bronx on May 30 in New York City.  

The Amalfi Llama

Soccer star Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo are pictured during a quiet date night at The Amalfi Llama restaurant in Aventura, Florida.

Out and About

Emily Ratajkowski keeps things casual while running errands in New York on May 30.

In the City of Angels

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Larsa Pippen dons dark shades while leaving Catch Steak restaurant in L.A. on May 30. 

Spilling the Tea

Happy Monday 

Paris Hilton sparkles in green while DJ-ing at the Lipton Green Tea After Dark event in Los Angeles on May 30.

A Rider That's Cool

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Austin Butler is effortlessly cool in sunglasses and a white tee while visiting the United Service Organizations with cast mates from The Bikeriders at Fort Irwin in California on May 28.

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Bradley Cooper waits for his Uber while wearing a Muhammad Ali jacket in New York City on May 30.

Living on the Air

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Jon Bon Jovi smiles while he visits Magic Radio on May 30 in London.

Comfy & Cozy

The Lounge Booth 

Jamie Chung is all bundled up as she attends the 2nd annual Filipino Forces Feast and Fiesta powered by Nike on May 28 in Beverly Hills.

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50 Cent performs while celebrating Memorial Day weekend at The Surf Lodge in the Hamptons in honor of his champagne brand Le Chemin du Roi.

Couple Walks

Jamie Bell and Kate Mara are pictured out on a stroll together on May 30 in L.A.

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T-Pain and Young Cash pose together at AYU Dayclub in Las Vegas on May 26.

Speaking Out

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Amber Tamblyn speaks on stage in Washington, D.C., on May 30 about gender equality while hosting the Voices of Solidarity panel at the Vital Voices 3rd Annual Festival. 

Selling Sunset Yellow

Heather Rae and Tarek El Moussa were all smiles on May 30 as they enjoyed a day out in New York City together.

Christopher Meloni gets a walk in while out grocery shopping in New York City on May 30.

Smile and Wave, Boys

Jeremy Renner waves to fans while wearing sunglasses and a white tee outside of Good Morning America on May 30.

Celebratory Skyscraper

INDYCAR Photo

Josef Newgarden poses in a Kristin Juszczyck jacket at the top of the Empire State Building after becoming the first IndyCar driver to win back to back Indy 500 races since Helio Castroneves did in 2001 and 2002.

Hot 'Dog' Walk

Simu Liu looks sporty and summer-ready while taking his dog, Chopa , on a walk in the Hollywood Hills in L.A. on May 30.

Back on Set

Selena Gomez opts for blue on the set of Only Murders in the Building in New York City on May 29.

Sweet Embrace

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda share a sweet moment together during the Era Coalition Forward Women's Equality Trailblazer Awards and premiere of Still Working 9 to 5 on May 29 in L.A.

Making Friends

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Andra Day poses with some of the Sesame Street gang during the Sesame Workshop 2024 Benefit Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 29 in N.Y.C.

Showing Support

Shante Broadus and Snoop Dogg pose together at the unveiling of The Players Club in L.A. on May 29.

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Lori Harvey steps out in Paris in jeans paired with a leather jacket on May 29.

Cool & Casual

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Dakota Johnson keeps it casual on the set of Materialists in New York City on May 29.

Feeling Floral

Also on set in New York City, Meryl Streep stuns in florals while filming Only Murders in the Building on May 29 in New York City.

Special Appearance

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Ke Huy Quan stops by Jimmy Kimmel Live on May 29 in L.A.

Costar Cool

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Naomi Watts and Demi Moore come together to celebrate their show FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans with a party hosted by Ryan Murphy at Chateau Marmont in L.A. on May 29.

In Good Fun

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Martha Stewart poses on the carpet with a few residents of Sesame Street at the Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala on May 29 in New York City.

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Ruth Wilson rocks denim on denim for the launch of Christiane Kubrick x Jonathan Anderson collections at Dover Street Market in London on May 29.

Rock Star Mode

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Slash hits the stage with his guitar as he promotes his new album at Amoeba Music in L.A. on May 29.

Sports Fans

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Crowd Pleaser

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Post Malone performs in plaid during Visa Live at le Louvre on May 28 in Paris.

New York Night

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Shonda Rhimes attends the Sesame Workshop Annual Benefit Gala on May 29 in New York City.

Early Mornings

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Rumer Willis flashes a smile during an appearance on the Today show on May 29 in New York City.

Daisy Ridley makes an evening visit to Chiltern Firehouse on May 30 in London.

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Padma Lakshmi is all smiles as she attends the Padma x Bare Necessities launch event at Crosby Street Hotel in New York City on May 29.

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Pam Grier and Jennifer Hudson pose for a selfie during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on May 29 in N.Y.C.

Ready for Summer

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Helena Christensen enjoys the warm New York City weather during an outing on May 29.

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Diane Lane takes the mic during a panel at an FYC event for FEUD: Capote Vs. The Swans at DGA Theater Complex in L.A. on May 29.

Make the Place Shimmer

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Taylor Swift gets right back into the groove of her Eras Tour, this time in Madrid on May 29 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Pink Hair, Don't Care

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Hayley Williams opens for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour on the first night of the show in Madrid on May 29.

Going Swimmingly

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Daisy Ridley attends the U.K. Gala screening for her upcoming film Young Woman And The Sea on May 29 in London.

Rose-Colored Glasses

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Paint the Town Pink

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Irina Shayk is dressed for the summer as she takes her dog out on a walk in New York City on May 29.

Friends Who Pose Together

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Lesa Milan and Jennifer Fessler pose together at a watch party event for the Bravo TV show, Summer House .

All Business (Casual)

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Sienna Miller looks business casual chic as she walks through West London on May 29.

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West Wilson looks comfy in a white tee while arriving at a Los Angeles Watch Party by Bravo for his show Summer House on May 28.

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Tank performs during Hot 105 Live in Fort Lauderdale on May 28.

On the Carpet

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Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James pose on the red carpet at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Conversations on Broadway: Days of Wine and Roses at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Robin Williams Center where they performed on May 29 in New York City.

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Dominic West and Callum Scott Howells throw punches at each other during a photo call for the play A View From The Bridge at Theatre Royal Haymarket on May 29 in London.

Sunny Spice

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Melanie "Mel C" Chisholm , aka "Sporty Spice," throws up a peace sign on the Sunglass Hut red carpet while attending a DJ set at the brand's store in London on May 29.

Pretty in Purple

Kristin Davis is in character on the set of And Just Like That... on May 28 in New York City.

Regal Greeting

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King Charles waves to the crowd following a visit to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London with Queen Camila on May 29.

Icon Status

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Kylie Minogue raises a glass to celebrate Kylie Minogue Wines' fourth anniversary at Annabel's in London on May 28.

Luke Hemmings performs during his Nostalgia for a Time That Never Existed tour at the Paramount Theatre in Brooklyn on May 28.

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Dakota Fanning poses during the photo call for The Watched at Claridges Hotel in London on May 29.

Related Articles

• View history

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

• 1.1 Origins
• 1.2 Relationship with Humans and the Federation
• 1.3 Relationships with other species
• 1.4 Catastrophe and betrayal
• 1.5 Reunification
• 1.6 Mirror universe
• 2 Physiology
• 3.1 See also
• 4.1 Foods and beverages
• 6 Technology
• 7.1 Appearances
• 7.2.1 First television appearances
• 7.2.2 Possibility of Star Trek III inclusion
• 7.2.3 Next Generation reappearances
• 7.2.4 Return to films
• 7.2.5 Further television appearances
• 7.2.6 Depiction in 2009 film
• 7.2.7 Discovery and Picard
• 7.2.8 Reception and trivia
• 7.3 Further reading
• 7.4 Apocrypha
• 7.5 External links

History [ ]

Origins [ ].

Spock once theorized that the Vulcans might be descendants of the Arretans . ( TOS : " Return to Tomorrow ") In 2369 , evidence was discovered that several species including the Romulans, and therefore also the Vulcans , trace back to DNA seeded on many planets by ancient humanoids billions of years ago . ( TNG : " The Chase ")

By the late 24th century , some Romulans believed that the story of Ganmadan predated the arrival of the ancestors of the Romulans and Vulcans on Vulcan. ( PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

When Surak's reforms of embracing logical principles and rejecting emotion spread rapidly across Vulcan in the 4th century , a minority rejected Surak's ideals. They were described as " those who march beneath the Raptor's wings ", a symbol later to be used in the Romulan Star Empire, and eventually departed Vulcan after losing a nuclear war called the Time of Awakening . At some point, they settled on twin planets that became known as Romulus and Remus , thereby laying the foundation of the Romulan Star Empire. ( ENT : " Kir'Shara "; TNG : " Gambit, Part I ", " Gambit, Part II "; Star Trek Nemesis )

Relationship with Humans and the Federation [ ]

Romulans were aware of Humanity for some time before Earth knew of them. Infiltrating the highest levels of the Vulcan High Command , the Romulans were impressed and seemingly confused by Humans. Enterprise NX-01 inadvertently encountered a Romulan minefield at one point, officially the first time Humanity became aware of the Romulans. Even after fighting the Earth-Romulan War , it wasn't until the 23rd century that Humans actually made visual contact with Romulans. ( ENT : " Minefield "; TOS : " Balance of Terror ")

After the Treaty of Algeron went into effect, the Romulans retreated into political and social isolation from the Federation. In late 2364 , an unprovoked attack on a Romulan outpost near the Federation Neutral Zone occurred. The Romulans initially suspected the Federation had executed the attack but it was later learned that the Borg may have been responsible. This event marked the end of Romulan political isolationism with the Federation. ( TNG : " The Neutral Zone ")

Relationships with other species [ ]

In keeping with their xenophobic attitudes, the Romulans tend to conquer species rather than form alliances with them, and individual Romulans tend to treat other species with varying degrees of disdain.

That did not prevent them from employing diplomacy when it suited their purposes. Soon after their emergence from a century of isolation in the mid 2260s , they had established at least two embassies with the Federation. One such embassy was a three-way endeavor on the planet Nimbus III , along with the Klingon Empire , and the other was on Earth itself. ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

The Romulans allied with the Federation and the Klingons against the Dominion

Klingons and Romulans once shared an alliance for a number of years, beginning in the 2260s . But over the years, a number of unfortunate incidents, including the Khitomer Massacre , led the Klingons to develop a deep-seated hatred for the Romulans, and the Romulans were arguably the species that Klingon society in general despised most of all. ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident "; TNG : " The Neutral Zone ")

A Cardassian embassy existed on Romulus for a time, and Elim Garak was "employed" there as a " gardener ," suggesting that the two species maintained an active diplomatic relationship. ( DS9 : " Broken Link ") In 2371 , Romulan and Cardassian agents in the Tal Shiar and the Obsidian Order cooperated in an attempted attack on the Dominion . ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ", " The Die is Cast ") The Romulans had cut ties with the Cardassians by the time they entered into the Dominion War , but precisely when their relationship ended prior to this was unclear.

One common saying among the Romulans was, " Never turn your back on a Breen . " While this statement could be taken as partially humorous and not in itself indicative of hostilities between the two species, the Breen Thot 's apparent condition that the Breen be given Romulus in exchange for their help in the Dominion War suggested there was some degree of unfriendly history between the two. ( DS9 : " By Inferno's Light ", " Strange Bedfellows ")

The species that Romulans seem to dislike most, however, were Vulcans, and this feud goes back many centuries. The two powers once fought in a war that lasted a hundred years which was ignited due to a misunderstanding created by one of Q 's self-destructive stunts . ( VOY : " Death Wish ")

The two species remained distrustful of one another for an incredibly long time, but some Romulans grew tired of this, and a grassroots movement for reunification of the two species was active for a time on Romulus. It was generally assumed that after the split, Romulans and Vulcans were unaware of their common ancestry until the 23rd century . ( ENT : " Kir'Shara "; TOS : " Balance of Terror ")

Catastrophe and betrayal [ ]

The destruction of Romulus

In 2387 , the Romulan sun went supernova . Ambassador Spock attempted to prevent the supernova from striking the planet using red matter , but he was unsuccessful and Romulus was destroyed. A mining vessel , the Narada , survived and was captained by Nero , who exploited the black hole 's creation of a time warp into the past to attack Spock's home planet of Vulcan in revenge and planned to destroy all planets of the Federation so that Romulus could be "free" and possibly conquer everywhere else. The first part of Nero's plan was mostly successful as Vulcan and most of the Vulcan species was destroyed. However, the Narada and its crew were destroyed in the Battle of Earth by the crew of the Enterprise led by the James T. Kirk of the alternate reality . ( Star Trek )

Just prior to the destruction of Romulus, the Romulans reached out to the Federation, which accepted their request for help. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard would lead a fleet of rescue ships to Romulus in an attempt to evacuate as many Romulans as possible but the rescue ships were attacked and destroyed by, what appeared to be at the time , a group of malfunctioning, rogue synthetic life forms during their attack on Mars . This action led Starfleet to withdraw the rescue mission, thus betraying the Romulans in their hour of need. Not wanting to be a spectator in what he viewed as a dereliction of duty and criminal action by Starfleet, Picard gave Starfleet a choice of either accepting his revised plan for the mission, or his resignation, in which Starfleet Command chose the latter. In disgust, he retreated to his vineyard on Earth . ( PIC : " Remembrance ", " The End is the Beginning ")

After the destruction of Romulus, some of the surviving Romulans were politically organized as the Romulan Free State . ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

The Zhat Vash were later exposed as the true culprits of the attack on Mars, ending the ban on synthetics . Federation and Romulan forces had a brief standoff over the planet Coppelius , but the Romulans backed down when Soji Asha was proven not to be the Destroyer as the Zhat Vash feared. ( PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ")

Following this, tensions between the two powers abated again with Elnor being welcomed as the first fully-blooded Romulan Starfleet cadet . ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

Reunification [ ]

Centuries after Spock's death, the Romulans reunified with the Vulcans and returned to their former home of Vulcan, which was renamed Ni'Var . In the early days, the Qowat Milat were crucial in establishing trust between the two peoples, though their reconciliation remained difficult. After the Burn in the 31st century , the Romulans advocated for remaining in the Federation, though they were overruled. ( DIS : " Unification III ")

After Ni'Var rejoined the Federation, Romulans joined Starfleet in various roles. One was a member of Commander Nhan 's team from Federation Security . ( DIS : " Erigah ")

Mirror universe [ ]

In the mirror universe , the Romulans appeared to be uninvolved in the conflict between the Terran Rebellion and the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance .

Benjamin Sisko , posing as his mirror universe counterpart , indicated to Jennifer Sisko that he was going to visit the Romulans to see if he could get their support. This was, in reality, a ruse to explain his return to Deep Space 9 . ( DS9 : " Through the Looking Glass ")

Physiology [ ]

Romulans in 2266

Due to their shared ancestry, Vulcans and Romulans possessed very similar physiology . ( DS9 : " Image in the Sand ") In addition, much like being an offshoot from their Vulcan cousins themselves, a race known as the Debrune were an ancient offshoot of the Romulans. ( TNG : " Unification I ", " Gambit, Part I ")

Romulans had pointed ears , eyebrows that were arched and up-swept, varied skin color, and copper -based blood that appeared green when oxygenated in the arteries, or copper or rust-colored when deoxygenated in the veins. ( Star Trek Generations ; PIC : " Absolute Candor ")

Some Romulans had two brow ridges above the bridge of their nose, forming a V-shape on the forehead, while other Romulans lacked these ridges, making them outwardly indistinguishable from Vulcans. Ridges were a trait associated with Northerners . ( PIC : " The End is the Beginning ")

The Romulan heart was gray in color. According to Garak, this fact was " altogether appropriate for such an unimaginative race. " ( DS9 : " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges ")

Despite their common ancestry, there were also many subtle internal physiological differences between Vulcans and Romulans. Their life signs registered distinctly enough on the scanners of the USS Enterprise in 2268 that officer Pavel Chekov was able to distinguish his crewmate Spock from the crew complement of a Romulan starship, though he did note the difficulty of the task. ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident ")

The physical differences between Romulans and Vulcans were evidenced in Dr. Beverly Crusher 's failed attempt to treat a Romulan, Patahk , who had suffered advanced synaptic breakdown, with the methods used to treat Vulcans. Describing that, between the two, there were " subtle differences… too many of them. " In fact, it was later determined that the genetic similarities between Romulans and Klingons allowed for the two species to have a compatible ribosome match to effect treatment. ( TNG : " The Enemy ")

The Terothka virus was a disease unique to Romulan physiology. Romulans were also susceptible to Tuvan Syndrome . ( VOY : " Message in a Bottle "; DS9 : " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges ")

Romulans were known to be inter-fertile with Humans , Klingons , and Vulcans . ( TNG : " The Drumhead ", " Redemption II ", " Birthright, Part II "; PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 ", et al.)

Romulans lacked the rigorous mental disciplines developed by the followers of Surak. ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident ")

Society [ ]

In Romulan society, military/political rank influences social standing. Because Romulans were members of a militaristic civilization, who considered defending the Romulan Empire and their own personal honor of foremost importance, military service and its accompanying rank were decisive factors in determining social eminence. ( TOS : " Balance of Terror ") However, while the military played an important role in Romulan society, it was the Romulan Senate that controlled the government. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Human clone Shinzon, who briefly became Praetor in 2379 after a coup d'etat , on his throne

At one point in history, Romulus was a sovereign nation ruled by an Empress , as indicated by Q . ( VOY : " The Q and the Grey ") By the 23rd century, the highest position of power was held by the Praetor , who presided over the Romulan Senate . ( TOS : " Balance of Terror "; Star Trek Nemesis ) The Praetor headed the Continuing Committee , which was composed of the Empire's most elite individuals, who made decisions of the utmost importance. ( DS9 : " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges ")

By the 24th century , the government of Romulus was dependent upon the Tal Shiar , the Romulan secret police, to maintain order and stability among both civilians and the military. The Tal Shiar was known for its brutal tactics, which included routine kidnapping, torture, and assassination. Many Romulans feared even expressing dissenting opinions in order to not bring the attention of the Tal Shiar. There were also indications that tension existed between the military and the Tal Shiar. ( TNG : " Face Of The Enemy ")

Ayel, a Romulan miner

Romulan society was based upon a highly structured caste system. Unlike most of the highly evolved species in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants , Romulans still practiced slavery , in this case of the Remans , which they used for slave labor and as shock troops. ( Star Trek Nemesis )

Romulans tended to be highly xenophobic , engaging in extended periods of isolationism , and could be perceived as outright racist to other species, believing themselves to be superior. At least some Romulans believed that, one day, the Romulan Empire would rule the entire galaxy and that Humans would be extinct. ( TNG : " The Neutral Zone ", " Data's Day ", " The Enemy ") According to Miles O'Brien , there was no piece of technology in existence that the Romulans didn't claim they invented before everyone else. ( DS9 : " Explorers ") According to Worf , Romulans tried to claim as territory all that was in their field of vision. ( TNG : " Tin Man ")

Both males and females could command warships, obtain high political positions, and could be members of the Tal Shiar. ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident "; TNG : " Contagion ", " Face Of The Enemy "; DS9 : " Image in the Sand ")

See also [ ]

• Romulan language

Culture [ ]

A street in the Krocton Segment on Romulus

The Romulans lacked the rigorous mental disciplines developed by the followers of Surak. Like the Vulcans, the Romulans gave up unrestrained violence as a way of life. However, in the case of the Romulans, this was replaced with a controlled deviousness: as a species, the Romulans were generally thought of as duplicitous, a reputation reinforced by the actions of their government over time. ( TNG : " The Neutral Zone ")

The Romulans saw and valued themselves as a passionate people. They dealt with loss differently from Humans: they loved deeply, and if it ended they honored that love by loving again, more deeply still. ( TNG : " Unification I "; PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

During the 23rd century , Romulans practiced the death penalty on criminals by means both painful and unpleasant. Prior to the presenting of the charges, the Romulans allowed the accused a Right of Statement . ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident ")

Reluctance to rely on overt hostility generally led the Romulans to play a waiting game with their opponents, attempting to manipulate an adversary into breaking – or appearing to break – an agreement so as to give them a solid justification for striking. ( TNG : " The Defector ", " The Pegasus ")

They were also well-known for fearing disgrace over death. ( TAS : " The Practical Joker ") With this frame of mind, Romulan parents disposed of any newborn carrying birth defects, as the alternative would mean a waste of resources. ( TNG : " The Enemy ")

Romulan custom was to promise males and females to each other from birth. ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

The totalitarian nature of Romulan society, in which dissent was often a crime and Romulan security officers masqueraded as citizens, led many Romulans to be extremely paranoid. ( TNG : " Unification I ")

Romulans had three names : one for outsiders, one for family , and a true name for the one they gave their hearts to. ( PIC : " The Impossible Box ")

Traditional Romulan homes had a false front door and their true entrance was located in the back. ( PIC : " The End is the Beginning ")

A common Romulan saying was " jolan tru ", which was used for both "hello" and "goodbye". ( ENT : " United "; TNG : " Unification I ", " Unification II "; PIC : " Absolute Candor ")

Another saying was: " Sab khut hafeth, frazhannempal was qailefeth " ("Seize today, for we know nothing of tomorrow"). ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

The path of Zhal Makh meditation is outlined on the floor

The Zhal Makh was a traditional form of meditation practiced by the Romulans and considered taboo to non-Romulans. ( PIC : " The Impossible Box ")

In the 24th century, a dissident movement began to gain momentum, based on the desire to learn about Vulcan and their ideals. The movement's ultimate goal was the reunification of Romulus and Vulcan . Ambassador Spock was deeply involved in this movement. ( TNG : " Unification I ", " Face Of The Enemy ")

Miles O'Brien once played a game of tongo with a Romulan mercenary ( DS9 : " Change of Heart "). In cases of anonymity, they were known for commonly using hired assassins , such as the Flaxians , to conduct their off-world "justice" ( DS9 : " Improbable Cause ").

The deviousness, xenophobia, and practiced duplicity were notably rejected by the Qowat Milat , an order of warrior nuns that were ideologically (and sometimes martially) opposed to the Tal Shiar and the Zhat Vash . They instead practiced the Way of Absolute Candor , i.e. the total communication of emotion without filter between thought and word. They were also open to non-Romulan women being inducted into their ranks. ( PIC : " Absolute Candor "; DIS : " Unification III ")

Foods and beverages [ ]

• Jumbo Romulan mollusk
• Romulan ale
• Romulan whiskey
• List of named Romulans
• List of unnamed Romulans

Technology [ ]

• See main article: Romulan technology

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Minefield " (voice only) (Season 2)
• " Kir'Shara " (Season 4)
• " Babel One "
• " The Aenar "
• " Balance of Terror " (Season 1)
• " The Deadly Years " (mentioned only) (Season 2)
• " The Enterprise Incident " (Season 3)
• " The Survivor " (Season 1)
• " The Time Trap "
• " The Practical Joker " (Season 2)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• " The Neutral Zone " (Season 1)
• " Contagion " (Season 2)
• " The Enemy " (Season 3)
• " The Defector "
• " Tin Man "
• " Future Imperfect " ( hologram only) (Season 4)
• " Data's Day "
• " The Drumhead "
• " The Mind's Eye "
• " Redemption "
• " Redemption II " (Season 5)
• " Unification I "
• " Unification II "
• " The Next Phase "
• " Face Of The Enemy " (Season 6)
• " Birthright, Part I "
• " Birthright, Part II "
• " The Chase "
• " Timescape "
• " The Pegasus " (Season 7)
• " All Good Things... "
• Star Trek Generations (corpse only)
• Star Trek Nemesis
• " The Search, Part I " (Season 3)
• " The Search, Part II "
• " Visionary "
• " Improbable Cause "
• " The Die is Cast "
• " Homefront " (Season 4)
• " In Purgatory's Shadow " (Season 5)
• " By Inferno's Light "
• " In the Pale Moonlight " (Season 6)
• " Tears of the Prophets "
• " Image in the Sand " (Season 7)
• " Shadows and Symbols "
• " Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges "
• " When It Rains... "
• " The Dogs of War "
• " What You Leave Behind "
• " Eye of the Needle " (Season 1)
• " Unity " (Season 3)
• " Message in a Bottle " (Season 4)
• " Infinite Regress " (flashback nightmare ) (Season 5)
• " Flesh and Blood " (hologram only) (Season 7)
• " Q2 " (hologram only)
• " Remembrance " (Season 1)
• " Maps and Legends "
• " The End is the Beginning "
• " Absolute Candor "
• " Stardust City Rag "
• " The Impossible Box "
• " Nepenthe "
• " Broken Pieces "
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 "
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 "
• " The Star Gazer " (Season 2)
• " Penance "
• " Assimilation "
• " Watcher "
• " Fly Me to the Moon "
• " Two of One "
• " Monsters "
• " Hide and Seek "
• " Farewell "
• " The Next Generation " (Season 3)
• " Imposters " (photo only)
• " Veritas " (Season 1)
• " Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus " (hologram only) (Season 3)
• " I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee " (Season 4)
• " Empathological Fallacies "
• " The Inner Fight "
• " Old Friends, New Planets "
• " Unification III " (Season 3)
• " All Is Possible " (Season 4)
• " The Galactic Barrier "
• " A Quality of Mercy " (Season 1)
• " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow " (Season 2)
• " Crossroads " (Season 1)
• " Masquerade "

Background information [ ]

First television appearances [ ].

The Romulans were conceived by freelance writer Paul Schneider and introduced in the TOS Season 1 episode " Balance of Terror ". Despite Schneider alone being given on-screen credit for the writing of that particular episode, citation for the creator of the Romulans became somewhat muddied as the years went by. In an article from Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 11 (p. 20), Star Trek: The Original Series writing staffer John D.F. Black wrote, " It's been stated so often that the Romulans were created by producer Gene Coon that I find it difficult to keep from walking lockstep with the legend, nodding along with it, in spite of my having been there while the Romulans emerged from the imagination of Paul Schneider. " Another person who was there at the time was D.C. Fontana , who was present when Schneider pitched the episode to Gene Roddenberry . Regarding Schneider's work on the Romulans, Fontana later said, " He defined it; he very much laid out who the Romulans were. Paul doesn't get enough credit for it. " (" Balance of Terror " Starfleet Access , TOS Season 1 Blu-ray ) (Note that Gene Coon was not yet a member of the Star Trek creative staff when "Balance of Terror" was written and produced. Coon joined Norway Corporation (Roddenberry's production company) roughly a month later, starting with " Miri ".)

Paul Schneider modeled the Romulans on the ancient Romans , naming the species' homeworlds after the mythical founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus . " It was a matter of developing a good Romanesque set of admirable antagonists that were worthy of Kirk , " Schneider related. " I came up with the concept of the Romulans which was an extension of the Roman civilization to the point of space travel, and it turned out quite well. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 34) D.C. Fontana reckoned that Schneider basing the aliens on the pre-existing Roman civilization was the cause for the writer receiving insufficient credit for creating the Romulans. (" Balance of Terror " Starfleet Access , TOS Season 1 Blu-ray ) Gene Roddenberry, interested in ancient Rome himself, approved of the initial depiction of the Romulan species. " He loved Paul's having endowed the enemy-Romulans with the militaristic character of the ancient Romans, " wrote John D.F. Black and Mary Black . ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 11 , p. 19) Roddenberry's original concept of the Romulans, however, was that they represented 1960s' Chinese Communists. ( Star Trek Nemesis hardback ed., p. xx)

The script for "Balance of Terror" originally implied, by describing the Romulan Bird-of-Prey as an Enterprise saucer section attached to a pair of warp nacelles, that the Romulans had somehow stolen starship components from the Federation. (" Balance of Terror " Starfleet Access , TOS Season 1 Blu-ray ) When first introduced in the revised final draft script of "Balance of Terror", the Romulans were described " with ears pointed as Spock's ears are pointed… much like Spock, the Romulans. " A description of them from further in the script stated, " They are Spock-like men, dressed in military tunics with strange emblems. Like Spock, their almond-colored faces are coldly impassive. " The next paragraph in the teleplay referred to "the striking resemblance they have in common with Mister Spock – Vulcanite ears!"

In common with Gene Roddenberry, the Blacks and D.C. Fontana also appreciated Paul Schneider's invention of the Romulans, the Blacks describing them as, " Villains strong enough and clever enough that the audience would be compelled to believe they were capable of the first move that would lead to the destruction of the Federation. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 11 , p. 20) Fontana enthused, " They were a wonderful, wonderful enemy […] to have, because we could talk about them, people had seen them once, and we didn't know a lot about them. They were wonderfully mysterious. They've always been my favorites, actually – right up there, next to the Vulcans […] Paul did a very good job of, you know, creating this race, ultimately, in the script. " Fontana also cited the Romulans' exoticism, their pointed ears and relation to Vulcans as one element of why she liked the Romulans. (" Balance of Terror " Starfleet Access , TOS Season 1 Blu-ray )

Lots of experience with Vulcan ear and eyebrow prosthetics, as worn by Leonard Nimoy in the role of Spock, stood makeup artist Fred Phillips in good stead for dealing with the Romulans in Star Trek: The Original Series . ( Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook , p. 185) However, the makeup was too impractical for the Romulans to be brought back on a regular basis, with the pointed ears especially bringing about several problems. The cost of manufacturing the ears, which were made from latex, was too enormous for multiple actors in any episode and the manpower required to create the ears and apply them for each individual actor would have gone over the budget. The need for costly actor-specific ears was negated via reusable helmets that were worn by the background Romulans. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , pp. 41 & 42) " It took a long time for the ears to be put on […] And you have a large number of extras coming in, that have to have these ears put on. It's very expensive, it's time, " commented Denise Okuda . " And so they came up with this ingenious idea of putting helmets on, so you could hide the fact that these actors did not have pointed ears on. " (" Balance of Terror " Starfleet Access , TOS Season 1 Blu-ray ) The Romulan ears were manufactured by Wah Chang , as were the group's helmets. For both, he charged Desilu Productions US$748.80. (This would be more than US$7,000 in 2020s money.) Chang invoiced Desilu for this payment on 26 July 1966 and the price was paid in the following month (on either 10 or 13 August ). ( Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook , pp. 240-241)

Following their introduction in the first season, the Romulans indirectly appeared in the second season installment " The Deadly Years ", via recycled footage of the Romulan Bird-of-Prey , and were temporarily planned to appear themselves in the story that became Season 2's " A Piece of the Action ". As such, they were written into the first draft script for the latter of those two episodes, then entitled "Mission Into Chaos". [1]

The Romulans finally made a physical reappearance in the third season outing " The Enterprise Incident ", which had the working title "The Romulan Incident". titles.htm The same episode was an allegorical story that politically based the Romulans on North Koreans. ( Star Trek: The Original Series 365 , p. 277) Applying a pair of the Romulan ear prosthetics during production on "The Enterprise Incident" typically took forty-five minutes. Having portrayed one of the Romulans in that particular episode, Tal actor Jack Donner pronounced, " The Romulans are a great race of people. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 53)

Possibility of Star Trek III inclusion [ ]

The Romulans were originally meant to be the villains in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . In an early story outline that Harve Bennett wrote for the third film, the Romulans discovered that the Genesis Planet had extraordinarily rich dilithium deposits and found Spock's coffin on the planet's surface. Even though they initiated a mining operation, the Romulans encountered trouble with this upon discovering that someone was killing members of the mining team, a mysterious individual who was later discovered to be a regenerated Spock. The story also brought the Romulans in conflict with the Enterprise and its senior officers. Though Kirk realized that the Romulans would become unstoppable if they succeeded with their mining mission, the Romulans were ultimately thwarted by the Starfleet officers, who – having caused the Enterprise to self-destruct to prevent a Romulan boarding party from seizing it – proceeded to capture the Romulan ship for themselves. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , pp. 29-30)

As Harve Bennett subsequently discussed the story with Leonard Nimoy , the Romulans were at the forefront of their thinking. " Our first conversations were about the Romulans versus the Klingons, " Bennett later explained. " I was just looking for a heavy, and in the series – to me – the Romulans seemed to be more dastardly than the Klingons. So it was an error of ignorance. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 30) Bennett went on to say, " I could have chosen the Romulans, but from my experience seeing all the episodes, I'd never gotten that sense of determination and absolutism that the Klingon episodes have revealed. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock  (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) Moreover, Nimoy persuaded Bennett that the Romulans were less theatrical than the Klingons, so the name of the species that would serve as the movie's villain was switched. The Klingon Bird-of-Prey was intended to have been stolen from the Romulans, but this information was left out of the film. ( The Art of Star Trek , pp. 215, 217 & 219)

Next Generation reappearances [ ]

In the first edition of the Star Trek: The Next Generation Writer'/Directors' Guide , Gene Roddenberry declared that no stories concerning warfare with Romulans would be accepted for the new series. ( The Art of Star Trek , p. 92) However, when Roddenberry was attempting to decide upon a new antagonist for regular use on Star Trek: The Next Generation (while considering that the Klingons would no longer appear as recurring villains), writer D.C. Fontana thought of the Romulans. Fontana later recalled, " I sent him a memo, suggesting 'How about the Romulans?' After all, they hadn't been developed all that much in The Original Series , and they were a glamorous, attractive enemy. " ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before paperback ed., p. 110) Secure in the knowledge that the TNG viewers had accepted the series as a new version of Star Trek rather than a retread, Roddenberry felt confident enough to bring back the Romulans at the end of the show's first season . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission , p. 66) Roddenberry allowed the Romulans to occasionally feature on the new series from then on, but preferred not to use them as the series' primary villains. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 036)

The return of the Romulans in the first season TNG episode " The Neutral Zone " was originally discussed as the first of a multi-part story that would have united them with the Federation against the newly discovered Borg . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., p. 60)) Writing staffer Maurice Hurley , who wrote "The Neutral Zone" and devised the multi-episode arc, intended for the Romulans to engage in a major battle against a Borg scout ship in the second of the three episodes, planned for the show's second season . The conflict would have culminated in the Romulans destroying the Borg vessel but being completely annihilated themselves. The extermination of the Romulan people would have left a mystery for Picard as to how they had managed to defeat the Borg ship before it had wiped them all out. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 23 , pp. 15-16) A Writers Guild strike nixed this plan and the introduction of the Borg had to wait. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (3rd ed., p. 60)) Nonetheless, the reappearance of the Romulans in "The Neutral Zone" proved the species had lost none of its appeal. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 21)

Marc Alaimo in Romulan makeup and costuming

Patrick Stewart in Romulan makeup

Marina Sirtis in Romulan makeup and costuming

For their appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation , makeup artist Michael Westmore gave the Romulans V-shaped forehead ridges to "compete" with the Klingon redesign introduced in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . ( The Art of Star Trek , p. 92) The Romulan ridges also developed from efforts to make them look more menacing than how they had appeared before and physically differentiate them from Vulcans. " From the very first moment they appeared on-screen, " Westmore commented, " the viewer had to take them seriously, rather than seeing them as stereotyped villains with pointed ears […] I devised a forehead that had a dip in the center, and then I hollowed out the temple area. We wanted to stay close to their natural forehead, not making them look Neanderthal, but giving them a built-in sullen expression they couldn't get away from. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 068)

It was found that this facial feature complemented a change to the typical Romulan hairstyle that Michael Westmore wanted to introduce. He said of the restyled Romulans, " I gave them a little wedge to the center of the hair on their forehead instead of the Vulcans' straight-across bang. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 26)

Although the Romulan genealogical tie to Vulcans was unspecified by TNG's writers when the Romulans were brought back – with "Balance of Terror" having introduced the species merely as a likely Vulcan offshoot – the opinion of the show's writers regarding the nature of this relationship had changed by the series' fifth season , as had personnel in the TNG writers' room. Writer Ronald D. Moore , who joined the show in its third season , expressed, " I hated the foreheads on the Romulans. The backstory [established in ' Unification [!] '] was that they were basically the same race, yet somehow the Romulans got these different foreheads at some point. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 068) However, the redesigned Romulan makeup remained for subsequent Star Trek productions, not only those set in the 24th century but also for when Romulans were featured on Star Trek: Enterprise . The makeup was so extensive that it required the actor's head to be measured during pre-production (at least, it did in the case of Vaughn Armstrong , when preparing to play Telek R'Mor in VOY : " Eye of the Needle "). [2]

Initially, the alternate timeline in " Yesterday's Enterprise " incorporated a Romulan alliance with the Vulcans. Together, they destroyed the Klingons and almost wiped out the Federation. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 24 , p. 28)

In " Tin Man ", the Romulans were at first deliberately written about somewhat sympathetically by the episode's writers, Dennis Putman Bailey and David Bischoff . " We knew it wasn't allowed to use the Romulans as the 'bad guys,' so we found different way to use them, " explained Bailey. " We presented their point of view very clearly and why they felt threatened by the Federation. Interestingly enough, the dialogue about that was cut from the final cut and I think they decided it was okay to use the Romulans as bad guys without justifying it. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 102 , p. 16)

Naren Shankar , who wrote the teleplay for " Face Of The Enemy ", thoroughly approved of how the Romulans are shown in that installment, saying, " The Romulans are not demonised […] which I think is very important. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 17 , p. 22)

Return to films [ ]

For Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , Romulan makeup was designed and fabricated by Richard Snell , though applied by Makeup Supervisor Michael J. Mills . Even though the Romulan facial features on TNG had significantly evolved from those on The Original Series , the Romulans were returned to their earlier form for Star Trek VI . " Basically, this time they had larger, bushier eyebrows and bigger ears, " noted Mills. " We stayed away from the forehead pieces and the radically different ears the new TV series has featured and just went with the original look. " ( Cinefex , no. 49, pp. 42 & 45)

Romulans were one alien race which, prior to the advent of Star Trek: Voyager , had become extremely familiar elements of the Star Trek universe. Deliberately, much less attention was paid to them in Voyager . ( Star Trek: Voyager - A Vision of the Future , pp. 155 & 162)

Romulans were initially intended to show up in a battle sequence near the start of Star Trek Generations . In this conflict, a group of Romulans would have attacked a couple of ensigns aboard the Amargosa observatory but then been ambushed themselves by an away team from the USS Enterprise -D , particularly Worf. Following comments from Jeri Taylor , this was changed to become a scene aboard a holographic simulation of the brig USS Enterprise , with only the aftermath of the battle being shown. ( The Making of the Trek Films , UK ed., p. 150)

The Romulans were originally to have filled the conspiratorial role that the Son'a play in Star Trek: Insurrection . According to writer Michael Piller in his unpublished reference book Fade In: From Idea to Final Draft , the idea of using the Romulans as major villains in the film was inspired by the fact that the species had been a long-standing enemy of the Federation but had never been featured in a Star Trek movie before. Additionally, Piller and Rick Berman imagined that the story might be set against the threat of a new outbreak of hostilities between the two governments. The Romulans went on to be written into the first version of the film's story. ( AOL chat , 1998 )

As told in Fade In: From Idea to Final Draft , Patrick Stewart criticized even the thought of using the Romulans in Insurrection , believing that they wouldn't make a suitable rival for the follow-up to Star Trek: First Contact . On 1 June 1997 , he wrote a letter to Rick Berman in which Stewart stated, " I think what dismays me most about the story is the dredging up of the Romulans – a race already unexciting in TNG – as the bad guys. It is revisionist and backward looking in a most disappointing way. After the Borg – the Romulans? Oh, my. " On 30 June , Michael Piller responded to this letter with one in which he explained, " We have, from the start, intended to re-invent the Romulans because we agree with you. We’ve been talking about a complete overhaul of their look as well as their character. If it means a great deal to you, I’d personally be willing to change it to another race. Do you have any suggestions? " Stewart responded with another letter, which he sent on 7 July and which confirmed that "the Romulan question" was highly important to him. Stewart continued, " I think it is a deadly idea to have even an 'overhauled' Romulan villain. After the Borg Queen it will look as if we just couldn’t come up with any new bad guys. But we must. "

The change to the newly invented Son'a was made "because nobody liked the idea of using the Romulans, ever," said Michael Piller. ( The Secrets of Star Trek: Insurrection , p. 14) Regarding the prospect of including the Romulans, Piller clarified, " No-one here felt a great deal of enthusiasm for that decision. " ( AOL chat , 1998 ) However, Eric A. Stillwell , who contributed to the making of Insurrection as a production associate and script coordinator, believed that the Romulans should have been used, saying, " I think this would have had a greater dramatic impact than introducing an entirely new group of bad guys. " He also noted about the exclusion of the Romulans, " I think that was a mistake. " [3] (X)

One of the first concepts in the writing of Star Trek Nemesis was to centrally feature the Romulans. A primary advocate for this choice of villain was writer John Logan – a big fan of the species and "the lethal machinations" characteristic of the group. " For a writer, the malicious subtlety of the Romulans, " remarked Logan, " offers great opportunities; the cleverness and formality of their language must suggest that they are simultaneously a deadly political foe and a noble, ancient race. Besides, I had just finished working on Gladiator and was in a classical frame of mind. The serpentine rhythms of the language we created for the Roman Empire in that movie were good practice for writing the august and treacherous Romulans. " ( Star Trek Nemesis hardback ed., pp. xvii-xviii) Logan also enthused, " I was delighted with the chance to get to play with the Romulans, and I don't think they've quite been explored enough […] For me the Communist Chinese is a really interesting world that was never fully explored, certainly in the movies, and not even as much as I would have liked in the series, except for individual episodes. I've always found that sort of Byzantine structure of Chinese Communism very interesting and very provocative, and lethal in a way I never found the Klingons. There is so much duplicity and mendacity and cleverness in the way the Romulans move through their world with very strategic chess moves. And also they are an old and ancient race, like the Vulcans, so they have gravitas to them, which I find very interesting. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , pp. 11-12)

John Logan doubting that the Romulans would mine dilithium for themselves was a strong influence on the creation of the Remans . " It seemed obvious to me, " he said, " that the Romulans would subjugate some other race to dig dilithium for them. Much too messy for our pristine and elegant Romulans. " As an homage to Gene Roddenberry's original conception of the Romulans as Chinese Communists, Logan and the other writers of Nemesis made all the Romulan and Reman names in the film of ancient Chinese descent. ( Star Trek Nemesis hardback ed., p. xx)

Although the Remans are clearly the main villainous species in Nemesis , Rick Berman was repeatedly reported as stating, in an interview on a UPN station local to Los Angeles, that the Romulans would be the major villain in the film. [4] (X) [5] (X) In Star Trek: Communicator  issue 131 , he clarified, " What I said was that we would be seeing the Romulans in this movie, which we are, but I did not necessarily say that they were going to be our main villains. " [6] (X) In Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 23 (p. 10), he further hinted about the Romulans, " They are part of the villainy, but not in the way that some might think! "

Eric Stillwell was puzzled upon hearing a rumor that the Romulans might be involved in Nemesis at all. He later commented, " I thought [that] was odd after we were asked to remove the Romulans from the original story in Insurrection . " [7] (X)

Before the release of Nemesis , Rick Berman additionally remarked, " I'm sure you can expect a fresh, updated look for the Romulans […] I think there will be some surprises as to what the Romulans will look like. " [8] (X) As it was, the Romulan designs used in the film were much as they had been in the preceding series. These similarities not only included their makeup but also stemmed to the production design of their ships, with Production Designer Herman Zimmerman saying, " The Romulans have been kind of an art deco culture and that's what you see [in Nemesis ], echoes of 1930s geometry in architecture, just turned sideways. " [9] (X)

Applying the Romulan prosthetics for Nemesis regularly took four hours. " I had a forehead prosthetic that they stuck to my head, " reported Donatra actress Dina Meyer . " The morning make-up routine consisted of me going into hair and getting my head wrapped – they make your hair all pin-curled and they put your head in a wig cap, so all your hair is pulled off your face. Then you go to the make-up trailer, where they attach the prosthetic forehead and prosthetic ear tips and then they pile on the make-up. They need a spatula to put it on, it's so thick. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 100 , p. 23)

Further television appearances [ ]

Because "Balance of Terror" had established Starfleet's first confirmed visual contact with the Romulans as being in 2266 , it was somewhat difficult for them to appear on Enterprise , that prequel series primarily being set in the 2150s . The show's producers wanted to include Romulans in the series, despite the risk of contaminating Star Trek canon, ever since the series began. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 135 , p. 23)

Some initial consideration was given to making unnamed aliens in ENT : " Silent Enemy " actually be Romulans. André Bormanis , a writing staffer who wrote that episode, explained, " I wondered whether they might be Romulans until we decided to do a CGI alien effect [for the aliens themselves]. I think the technology of their ship, though, was too sophisticated for Romulans in this era, so that argued against making them Romulans too. " [10] (X)

The interest in seeing the Romulans on the series of Enterprise continued, however. " We have major continuity issues with them, " observed Executive Producer Brannon Braga , at the end of the show's first season . " We would very much like to do Romulans, but a) we don't know quite how yet, and b) since the new movie [ Star Trek Nemesis ] deals with Romulans, we want to give them some breathing room. We'll do them eventually, but not right away. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 139 , p. 29) Intense speculation regarding whether the Romulans would appear in the series was stirred up at the end of Season 1. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 145 , p. 24)

In fact, just prior to the release of Star Trek Nemesis , the Romulans seemed to have disappeared. At the time, John Logan rhetorically asked, " Why isn't anyone using them? " Reflected Jack Donner, " To a great deal they have been ignored. They haven't paid that much attention to them [in recent series]. There have certainly been episodes that dealt with Romulans, but nothing like the Klingons, Cardassians , and Ferengi . " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , pp. 46 & 53)

In Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 (p. 85), Rick Berman predicted, " I would […] not be surprised that, within the next six to twelve months, we will have our first run-in with Romulans […] I […] think we will undoubtedly be running into Romulans at some point. " However, Berman made these statements without the writing staff of Enterprise having discussed the species appearing on the series nor the art department doing any design work related to the Romulans. [11] (X) [12] (X) Responding to the news, André Bormanis remarked, " If that's the case, I'm looking forward to it. " [13] (X)

One possibility, considered at around the end of the first season, was whether John Logan would be able to write the script for the Romulans' appearance on Enterprise , which then began to be a likely option for the show's second season . " Yeah, he would love to do that, and we would love to give him that chance, " announced Rick Berman. " It's all going to have to do with his time – he has three huge movies that he is working on now. We'll see what happens. " In the same interview, Berman went on to outrightly dismiss the chance that Romulans could show up in the first season. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 138 , p. 20)

Despite the second season installment " Minefield " initially excluding the Romulans and its premise being a story set entirely on the hull of Enterprise , the plot evolved to include the Romulans. " The idea that the attacking aliens would be Romulans came out a little later, during the story break process, " Brannon Braga recollected. " We needed to be true to continuity and this was a way to do it. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 145 , p. 24) Braga was happy that this portrayal of the Romulans seemed to come at an appropriate time, commenting, " I think it's cool that on Star Trek Nemesis you can see the Romulans of Picard's time, and at the same time you're seeing the early encounters with them on Enterprise ; there's great synergy there. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 99 , p. 8)

At a convention in Minneapolis held on the second weekend of July 2002 , Connor Trinneer conceded that, although he did not know any specifics about the Romulans making a return appearance on Enterprise , such an appearance was very possible, saying he "wouldn't be surprised" by it, at all. [14] (X) It was merely days later, on Tuesday 16 July 2002 , that Brannon Braga finally announced the upcoming Season 2 Romulan episode, hinting, " I think I can say without getting into too much trouble that very early in the season we will have our first brush with the Romulans. … Capt. Archer will have a very lethal brush with the Romulans early on. " [15] (X) On several occasions, Braga also tried to give assurances that the continuity with the Romulans was "airtight." [16] (X) [17] (X)

Despite featuring heavily in "Minefield", Malcolm Reed actor Dominic Keating revealed to fans, " I have NO idea who they are! " [18] (X)

Prior to the initial airing of Enterprise 's season 2 finale " The Expanse ", many fans at first incorrectly speculated that the Romulans were responsible for the attack on Earth depicted in that episode – thought to be the initial volley in the Romulans' previously established war with Earth – and would be the focus of the series' third season , rather than the multi-species Xindi . Brannon Braga was of the opinion that, had the Romulans indeed been used, they would have become "old" and less satisfying during the relatively lengthy course of the third season arc. He also stated that this did not exempt the species from appearing in that season, in which they nevertheless ultimately did not feature. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 145 , p. 32)

The Earth-Romulan War was, however, intended to be explored in the fifth season of Star Trek: Enterprise and the film Star Trek: The Beginning , neither of which were produced. Brannon Braga and Manny Coto considered making " Future Guy " a Romulan, while Michael Sussman intended on revealing T'Pol's father was a Romulan agent. ( Information provided by Michael Sussman )

The Romulans would have had a grander future had the animated series Star Trek: Final Frontier been produced instead of the film Star Trek : set in the 2460s , a war caused by Omega particle detonations (which was not actually the Romulans' fault) permitted them to conquer Qo'noS , destroy Andoria , and force the Vulcans to leave the Federation to negotiate reunification .

Depiction in 2009 film [ ]

During development of the 2009 film Star Trek , the writers of the movie's script, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci , chose the Romulans as the villains because the film was a continuation of Spock's story from "Unification". [19] J.J. Abrams said, " What was interesting to me was that it wasn't the Klingons. That's what you expect and it was fun to use the Romulans the way we did, " referring to their premature appearance in Kirk's life being a clear marker of divergence from the prime reality. " Part of the fact is that they hadn't seen them for so many years, so that it immediately breaks, for anyone who knows, the rules of Trek to start the movie and have Romulans crossing paths with Starfleet. " [20] Orci and Kurtzman focused more on writing the Romulans in later drafts of the screenplay. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 146 , p. 27)

Romulan prosthetics for the film Star Trek were at first arranged to be the purview of Proteus FX Makeup Effects Supervisor Barney Burman . " I did some early designs for the Romulans in my shop, but when my workload became too heavy, I hired Joel Harlow to come in and handle them. We all decided it would be best if Joel took over the task of creating the Romulans on set close to [Director] J.J. [Abrams] so he could see and direct their progress each day. We set up a makeup trailer for the Romulans, and Joel hired a crew of people to work on that and just did a fantastic job. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 155 , p. 57) This makeup crew, called Joel Harlow Designs , sculpted and designed Romulan ear and forehead prosthetics. A total of forty main Romulan characters were created to appear in the movie, a process that started with lifecasts for each actor. ( Star Trek - The Art of the Film , p. 37) Harlow himself remembered, " J.J. did not want to see any hair lace in the wig applications, so we made the entire forehead and eyebrows as one piece, with hair punched into the silicone before application. I wanted to give the Romulans an animal look, so we widened their nose bridge and did some interesting stuff with their brows – but nothing so extreme that you couldn't believe they were real. " ( Cinefex , No. 118, pp. 46 & 47) After the individual prosthetic pieces were crafted and prepared for filming, Harlow's team also applied the prosthetics. The Romulan makeup designs from the same film incorporated tattoos that were made to look tribal. ( Star Trek - The Art of the Film , p. 37)

Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci admitted that, even in the alternate reality , not all Romulans are necessarily bald. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 149 , p. 13) In reality, baldness of Nero and his crew was used to set the Romulans apart, physically, from the Vulcans in the movie, due to both species having slanted eyebrows and pointed ears. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 155 , p. 57)

Casting Director April Webster was at first very puzzled as to how to cast the Romulans in the film. " I had no idea what we were going to do with the Romulans, " she conceded. However, an influence on overcoming this challenge was the fact that the rest of the movie's cast incorporated a wide variety of people, with different skin colors and ages. Webster continued about the Romulans, " We just made a list of the most interesting actors we could think of who could match up and hold their own in a scene with [ Nero actor] Eric Bana . " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 144 , p. 30)

There were subtle alterations made to the Romulan prosthetics (at least for the Nero character) before filming, making it easier to perform on long shooting days. Eric Bana stated, " The prosthetics only underwent very minor changes, just for comfort and actability. Sometimes you make a really tiny change with the prosthetic, or the glue, or where it's attached, and it can really make a difference to your ability to convey expression. We had a few goes at that in pre-production to get that right. " By the time a week of filming had gone by, Bana found the new Romulan facial appearance "began to look completely normal to me, and regular Humans started to look weird!" ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 146 , p. 24) On the other hand, according to Star Trek Magazine  issue 146 (p. 24), the Romulans on set seemed distinctly intimidating.

Discovery and Picard [ ]

The Romulans have been purposely excluded from featuring in Star Trek: Discovery . Showrunner Aaron Harberts explained, " 'Romulan' is a dirty word in our writers' room right now, because of where we are in the timeline. We don't talk about the Romulans […] The sparks fly when the writers bring up the Romulans. " ( AT : " O Discovery, Where Art Thou? ")

When Neville Page designed the Romulan makeup for Star Trek: Picard , he decided to use a variety of forehead appliances, some with more prominent ridges and others with a more Human appearance, closer to the look of the Romulans in Star Trek: The Original Series . ( TRR : " Maps and Legends ")

After Picard season 1 aired, showrunner Michael Chabon published a blog post on Medium, outlining the history and culture for the Romulan people he devised for the show. [21]

Reception and trivia [ ]

The Romulans proved extremely popular among Star Trek fans . " When my episode first aired, " remarked Jack Donner, regarding " The Enterprise Incident ", " I got a letter from a fan named Lori Carlson in Denver, Colo. She was the president of the Leonard Nimoy/Vulcan club there, but she wrote to me and said that the club was switching their interests around. And now there are Romulan fan clubs all over the place – in Michigan, and Bakersfield, California, to name just a few. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 53) The Romulans had become fan favorites by the end of TNG's first season. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission , p. 66)

Star Trek novels scribe Susan Schwartz also approved of the Romulans. " I personally like the combination of raw intellect and harnessed ferocity, with all that history underlying it, " she explained. " With the Romulans, I like the plotting, too, and the honor and the irony. I've always liked them, from the time I saw Marc Lenard's face in 'Balance of Terror' and realized what they were swiping from. " [22] (X)

A group of Romulans appeared in a 1995 television commercial for a Christmas ornament of the Romulan Warbird, made by Hallmark . Makeup for these Romulans was provided by Michael Westmore 's makeup team. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 9 , p. 50)

Further reading [ ]

• "The Romulans" by Robert Greenberger , The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 12 , pp. 54-55

Apocrypha [ ]

Much of the Romulans' origins are explored in the Rihannsu pentalogy by Diane Duane , and the later Vulcan's Soul trilogy by Josepha Sherman and Susan Schwartz . Duane's novels established that the exodus from Vulcan was led by S'task, a former disciple of Surak , a detail which Sherman and Schwartz followed.

In Duane's novel The Romulan Way , Vulcan society becomes polarized by their first encounter with an alien species – Orion pirates attempting to invade their world. S'task, a Vulcan poet and former disciple of Surak, argues in favor of strength, while Surak's increasingly popular beliefs favor pacifism and logic. To avert civil war between the two factions, S'task leads his followers on a mass migration. As part of their exodus, they intentionally invent a new culture and a new language. They refer to themselves as the Rihannsu , which means "the Declared," in their new language. Likewise, they named their new homeworlds ch'Rihan ("of the Declared") and ch'Havran ("of the Travelers"); the names Romulus and Remus were pinned on their worlds by the Federation exploration vessel that first entered their star system – according to Duane, those Rihannsu who learned about the names used for them by the Federation were puzzled, more than anything else, by the myth from which the names originated (twin brothers being raised and suckled by a wolf ).

In the Vulcan's Soul trilogy, the Romulans' ancestors left Vulcan as a contingency plan approved by Surak, should the wars on Vulcan have completely destroyed their civilization. The eagle emblem was inspired by a huge bird native to Romulus that clutched eggs in its talons.

Duane also depicted the Romulans as being extinct in the mirror universe novel Dark Mirror , as they chose to commit mass suicide rather than become subjects of the Terran Empire following the Battle of Cheron .

According to the novel Uncertain Logic , the Rihannsu called themselves Rom'ielln during the Romulan-Vulcan War to conceal their true identity from the Vulcans. It is implied that this name became the source of the word "Romulan".

The comic book Star Trek: Countdown and the video game Star Trek Online depict the lead up and the aftermath of Romulus' destruction, primarily caused by the Romulan Senate ignoring Spock's warnings about the supernova , which originated from the star of the Hobus system, and the Vulcan Science Council 's refusal to lend them red matter . In spite of this, Federation-Romulan relations had been improving and Romulan citizens had become less xenophobic, as indicated in the ending of Star Trek Nemesis . After the supernova, Federation aid is either welcomed or met with suspicion and even hostility, while the Klingon Empire seizes the opportunity to conquer Romulan territory. Despite continuing in-fighting between the survivors, a new capital called Rihan is established on Rator III . The Romulans are playable characters in the 2013 Online expansion pack Legacy of Romulus . The playable Romulans and Remans are members of a splinter Republican faction on New Romulus led by D'Tan . It is eventually revealed that the supernova was not a natural occurrence, but was a deliberate act of genocide by rogue elements of the Tal Shiar at the behest of the Iconians , the game's primary villains until the conclusion of Season 10.

Romulan religious beliefs vary in non-canon sources.

• The Way of D'era sourcebook states the Romulans believe in the Way of D'era. Tellus, an enemy of Surak, taught that the inhabitants of Vorta Vor – the mythological world mentioned in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier – had visited the Vulcans and inspired them to become the supreme rulers of the galaxy. This explains the superiority complex and their hatred for Vulcans, whom they see as traitors.
• In Duane's Rihannsu series, the Romulan religion is animistic, born out of the apparently innocuous comment, made by one philosopher aboard the ships outbound from Vulcan, that "things notice" – i.e., that lost objects remain lost as long as you are looking for them, then reappear as soon as you stop looking. From this observation grew an entire theological colloquy, and eventually a religion based on worship of the classical elements of fire, air, water, earth and the "Archelement" which oversees the others.
• In Killing Time , they worship a demon called Bettatan'ru.
• The Countdown / Nero story portrays the Romulans as polytheistic.

There are also various, conflicting explanations for the Romulans' lack of telepathic ability:

• In Duane's My Enemy, My Ally , Spock explains that the Romulans left Vulcan before the mental disciplines of Vulcan were fully developed, and genetic drift has caused them to lose any latent ability they might have;
• This is contradicted in Duane's sequel The Romulan Way , which explains that a number of trained telepaths accompanied the Rihannsu ships leaving Vulcan, but eventually died as a result of having to use their psionic abilities to propel the ships from one star system to another; because it required a group of telepaths to train new adepts, the Rihannsu's telepaths died at a faster rate than they could be replaced; according to this novel, Vulcans in the 23rd century believe that the Romulans still possess the raw potential to produce telepaths, but will never do so without hands-on instruction from Vulcan adepts;
• In the novel Sarek by A.C. Crispin , the Romulans kidnap a group of Vulcans, several decades before the Khitomer Conference , and interbreed with them, producing telepathically sensitive hybrids .
• According to the Vulcan's Soul trilogy, the Romulans rejected the telepathy of the Vulcans and slaughtered or enslaved the telepaths among themselves during their exodus from Vulcan: these telepaths became the Remans . This explains why no Romulan displays telepathic skills in canon, while some Remans, such as Shinzon 's Reman Viceroy , do.
• In Nero , the titular character takes a drug that enables him to meditate, and to develop the skills to communicate telepathically, without mind melding.

The Way of D'era explains that the Romulans lack the physical strength of the Vulcans because they no longer live on a harsh environment. Killing Time shows Romulans slightly adverse to the effects of pon farr .

The alternate reality Romulans themselves debut in the two-part "Vulcan's Vengeance" story from IDW Publishing 's Star Trek: Ongoing comic book series. It is stated the Senate approved of Nero's actions. A group of Vulcans led by Sarek infiltrate Romulus and attempt to avenge their homeworld by detonating red matter recovered from Vulcan. Spock convinces his father the plot is a mistake, and prevents the detonation. He and his fellow crew members are allowed to return as a "fair exchange" while the Senate keeps the red matter. They also gain the Narada 's schematics. Later in the series, Section 31 allies with the Romulans to start a war with the Klingons, in a successful ploy to regain the last piece of red matter.

External links [ ]

• Romulan at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Romulan at Wikipedia
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Calypso (episode)