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Published Dec 1, 2019

Star Trek 101: Romulans and Remans

A quick refresher on the similarities and differences between the two alien cultures.

StarTrek.com

Today, we share Star Trek 101: A Practical Guide to Who, What, Where, And Why ' s file on the differences between Romulans and Remans, as first explored in Star Trek Generations .

Romulus and Remus are sister planets within the same system. You’d think that would make the “sister” species who inhabit those worlds neighborly... but, no. Romulus is your typical alien world, which is to say, habitable. Remus, on the other hand, is a nasty place: unbearably hot on one side of the planet, unbearably cold on the other. It’s a hell of a place — literally — to grow up. About the only thing the planet is good for is mining, and for many years the dominant Romulans have forced the Remans to live under brutal conditions and work the mines. Well, what goes around, comes around. The Remans eventually rise up against their Romulan oppressors and kill everyone in the Romulan Senate.

In terms of appearance, Romulans look like their Vulcan ancestors. Remans have gray skin, cadaverous frames, and catlike ears — in fact, the resemblance to Nosferatu is uncanny.

Star Trek 101 introduces Star Trek newcomers to the basic foundations and elements of the franchise, and refreshes the memories of longtime Trek fans. We're pulling our entries from the book Star Trek 101: A Practical Guide to Who, What, Where, And Why , written by Terry J. Erdmann & Paula M. Block and published in 2008 by Pocket Books. An invaluable resource, it encompasses Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise , as well as the first ten Trek feature films.

Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann are coauthors of numerous books about the entertainment industry, including Star Trek 101; Star Trek Costumes: Fifty Years of Fashion from the Final Frontier; Star Trek: The Original Series 365; and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion . They currently are writing the latest in their series of Ferengi novellas, which (so far) includes Lust’s Latinum Lost (and Found) ; and Rules of Accusation . As noted, their most recent non- Trek book is Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History .

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About the book, about the author.

Simon Hawke is the author of numerous titles, including the TimeWars series, the Shakespeare and Smythe series, and novels taking place in the  Star Trek  universe. 

Product Details

• Publisher: Pocket Books/Star Trek (September 22, 2000)
• Length: 288 pages
• ISBN13: 9780743421096

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The History Of The Romulans, And Their Place In The Star Trek Universe

"Star Trek" is home to countless alien races, but few have as enduring a presence in the franchise as the Romulans. They're the most persistent adversaries of the Federation, so much so that blue-tinted Romulan Ale remains under trade embargo. This hostility makes it all the more ironic that they resemble humanity's first alien allies, the Vulcans , sharing their pointed ears and arched eyebrows.

The in-universe origin of the Romulans is that they were Vulcans, millennia ago. In that distant past, the Vulcans were a warlike people, far from the cold logicians that fans know. That changed when (in Earth's 4th century), the philosopher Surak taught his people to embrace logic and master their emotions. Not all Vulcans accepted Surak's teachings; "Those Who March Beneath The Raptor's Wings" were eventually exiled from Vulcan. These dissident Vulcans settled on the twin planets Romulus and Remus, evolving into the Romulans and personifying a violent path not taken by their Vulcan cousins.

"Star Trek" is big on allegory — the interstellar powers represent the geopolitics of the 20th century. The Federation is the United States of America, a democracy of many member states. As the Federation's most pressing rival, the Klingon Empire is the Soviet Union. The Romulan Star Empire is China, a "sleeping dragon" superpower.

So, why have the Romulans endured as a crucial part of "Star Trek" history — and what does their role in that history look like?

Romulans in the Original Series

The Romulans were created by writer Paul Schneider, debuting in the season 1 episode "Balance of Terror." The episode features the Enterprise reacting to the destruction of outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone; the culprit is a Romulan ship armed with a cloaking device. The Romulans flee back home while the Enterprise pursues its invisible quarry in a cat-and-mouse game.

This episode established the Romulan Star Empire had fought humanity in a devastating war a century ago. The war ended with a Neutral Zone established between the two parties' territories. Notably, no human had ever seen a Romulan in this time (or at least, no human who survived to tell about it). That means the Enterprise crew is stunned when they discover their adversaries are identical to Vulcans. The Romulans' exact backstory isn't spelled out, but Spock (Leonard Nimoy) speculates they are a Vulcan offshoot who retained his ancestors' warlike ways.

Schneider modeled the Romulans on the Romans; their twin homeworlds are named for the mythical founders of Rome and they employ ranks like "Centurion." Interviewed for "The Captains' Logs" by authors Edward Gross and Mark Altman , Schneider explained: "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."

The Romulans' ship, dubbed a "Bird of Prey" due to the hawk painted on its underbelly, also created an association between the Romulans and birds. By "Star Trek: The Next Generation," their imperial insignia had evolved into a stylized raptor. Their ancestors' moniker, "Those Who March Beneath The Raptor's Wings," was probably extrapolated from this connection too by writer André Bormanis (the name first appears in "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode, "Awakening," written by Bormanis).

Further appearances

"Balance of Terror" is one of the most acclaimed episodes of "Star Trek: The Original Series." It was even semi-remade for the season 1 finale of "Strange New Worlds," titled "A Quality of Mercy." The unnamed Romulan Commander (played by Mark Lenard, who would go on to play Spock's father, Sarek) is an especially well-remembered villain, predating Khan Noonien Singh as the first worthy adversary of Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the Enterprise. Even with his last words, he retains dignity and honor: "I regret that we meet in this way. You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend."

Despite this dynamite debut, the Romulans made only two more appearances in "The Original Series." They are the antagonists of the season 2 episode "The Deadly Years," about the Enterprise crew succumbing to premature aging. However, only their ships are seen, not the Romulans themselves. They make a second and final onscreen appearance in season 3's "The Enterprise Incident" ( written by the legendary D.C. Fontana ). In this episode, Spock seduces a Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) while Kirk poses as a Romulan officer to steal her ship's cloaking device.

According to "The Art of Star Trek" by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, "Romulans were originally intended to be more of an ongoing threat to the crew of the Enterprise, but the make-up requirements proved too expensive. Klingons were cheaper." Note how, in "Balance of Terror" and "The Enterprise Incident," Romulan extras often wear ear-concealing helmets — an easy way to bypass make-up expenses.

The Romulans had only minor roles in the six theatrical "Star Trek" films featuring the original cast. They were rejected as villains of the third film, "The Search for Spock," again in favor of the Klingons (this is why the Klingons in that film have a cloaked ship called a Bird of Prey).

The Rihannsu

During the 1980s, the Romulans took center-stage in "Rihannsu," a five-novel series written primarily by Diane Duane (Peter Morwood co-authored the second, "The Romulan Way.") Published from 1984 to 2006, the novels invented a culture and language for the Romulans wholesale; they are technically not "Trek" canon but remain acclaimed for their world-building.

"Rihannsu" ("The Declared") is the Romulans' native name for themselves, akin to how German people call their nation "Deutschland," the Japanese call theirs "Nippon," etc. They are driven by "D'era," an expansionist impulse akin to Manifest Destiny, and "Mnhei'sahe" (ruling passion), a complex code of conduct that is foremost a rejection of the Vulcan system of logic.

"Mnhei'sahe" is weighed by one's personal strength and devotion to the Empire. Romulans seek power not for personal benefit per se, but because greater power serves the Empire. Selflessness is an alien concept to the Romulans; do things for the sake of your own Mnhei'sahe and others will benefit in the process. "Mnhei'sahe" spreads its claws even into simple Romulan social interactions, where the ideal outcome is for both parties to depart with their honor intact.

Much of Duane's other additions are inferences based on "Balance of Terror" and "The Enterprise Incident." Akin to Rome, the Romulans are an Oligarchic Republic; a Praetor is elected by the Senate itself, not the people at large. "The Enterprise Incident" showed a Romulan woman with a high military rank. So, "Rihannsu" gave the Romulan society a matriarchial tilt; a Romulan's family lineage is derived from their mother, not their father.

Much of "Rihannsu" is a holdover from the suggestion in "Star Trek: The Original Series" that Romulans were a warrior culture. For instance, their society has a semi-feudal system with a strong emphasis on family affiliation. Canon material would take a different path, showing Romulans as militant but not exactly honorable.

The Next Generation

In "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the Klingons were now good guys (mostly). They also became the go-to warrior race of "Star Trek"; Klingon society took on Viking and Samurai characteristics, where war, personal honor, and feudal affiliation were everything.

The Romulans became less and less the noble Roman-esque adversaries that Schneider had conceived of, with "TNG" instead highlighting their duplicity (with the cloaking devices) and isolationism. Thus, the stereotypical traits of Romulans became paranoia, deception, and xenophobia.

The Romulans were reintroduced in "TNG" season 1 finale, "The Neutral Zone," where it's said they had stayed out of galactic affairs for much of the 24th century. The episode (where several of their colonies are destroyed by the to-be-revealed Borg) awakens them. Creator Gene Roddenberry had initially not wanted to use the Romulans, but poor reception to the Ferengi meant the Federation needed a new adversary. Thus, the Romulans became the most frequent alien antagonist in the series; the Federation and Klingons were united as their enemies. Recurring Romulan villains included Tomalak (Andreas Katsulas) and Sela (Denise Crosby).

The most notable additions to the Romulans in "TNG" included V-shaped forehead ridges (dimorphic evolution from their Vulcan cousins), the D'deridex Class (enormous green warships descended from the Birds-of-Prey from "The Original Series"), and the Tal Shiar, Romulus' secret police.

Romulan highlights in "TNG" include "The Defector" (a Romulan military officer defects to the Federation) and "Reunification" (where Ambassador Spock has begun a push on Romulus for the two peoples to be one again).

The Next Generation (cont'd)

The Romulans weren't as prominent in "Deep Space Nine" as in "The Next Generation," but that series featured them finally uniting with the Federation. While the Federation and Klingons fight a losing war with the expansionist Dominion, the Romulans initially stay on the sidelines.

In the season 6 episode, "In The Pale Moonlight," Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Garak (Andrew Robinson) falsify evidence of the Dominion's plans to invade Romulus and try to sway Senator Vreenak (Stephen McHattie). When their deception is revealed, Garak (with Sisko none the wiser until it's done) pulls a move the Romulans would be proud of: he assassinates Vreenak and frames the Dominion. Thus, the Romulans join the war as allies, and remain so until the series' end.

The Romulans finally got a silver screen spotlight in "Star Trek: Nemesis," the final "TNG" theatrical film. The Romulan Senate is assassinated by a bio-weapon and a new Praetor, Shinzon (Tom Hardy), seizes power. It turns out Shinzon is a failed clone of Picard, the product of an aborted spying operation. The biggest wrinkle "Nemesis" introduces to the Romulans is the Remans. Playing on the pre-established twin planets Romulus and Remus, the grey-skinned Remans are a slave race, toiling as forced laborers and shock troops.

The film skimps on the details of Reman history, so viewers can surmise they evolved on Remus and were subjugated by the Romulans. However, the novel trilogy "Vulcan's Soul" by Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz builds on the Remans displaying telepathy like the Vulcans (which the Romulans have always lacked). In this telling, the Remans were Vulcan exiles who refused to give up their telepathy and so were oppressed by the future Romulans; their appearance stems from the poor living conditions on Remus.

Looking to the past

"Star Trek: Enterprise" was a prequel set in the 22nd century, beginning before first contact between humans and Romulans. That event was depicted in the season 2 episode "Minefield," when the Enterprise stumbles into Romulan territory and is disabled by a cloaked minefield. True to canon, only the Romulans' ships are seen in the episode.

The Romulans finally took a larger role in season 4. The three-parter, "The Forge/Awakening/Kir'Shara" was about a Vulcan conspiracy to invade the Andorians. The ending revealed that Vulcan Administrator V'Las (Robert Foxworth) was in league with the Romulans and secretly working towards reunification. A subsequent three-parter, "Babel One/United/The Aenar," featured the Romulans as the explicit villains. A Romulan drone-ship, equipped with a holographic projector and controlled by Admiral Valore (Brian Thompson), attacked ships throughout the Alpha Quadrant to ferment dissent (the story begins with it destroying an Andorian ship while disguised as a Tellarite one, it later destroys a Rigellian freighter while disguised as Enterprise, etc.). However, the attacks only wind up bringing the targeted races together.

"Enterprise" established a firm timeframe for the Earth-Romulan War: 2156 to 2160. Moreover, the war was revealed as the event that brought the Federation together; Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites united in a military alliance against Romulan expansionism and never broke apart. The Romulans' increased presence in season 4 was building up to the war, but unfortunately, "Enterprise" was canceled before subsequent seasons could depict it. Thus, the Earth-Romulan War remains undepicted onscreen, confined to novels "Beneath The Raptor's Wings" and "To Brave The Storm" (both by Michael A. Martin).

The home world destroyed

Romulans were again the villains of a "Star Trek" film in director JJ Abrams' eponymous reboot. In the year 2387, Romulus and Remus are destroyed when their star goes supernova, shattering the Empire. Spock manages to contain the explosion with the substance Red Matter, opening a wormhole that sends him back in time to the 23rd century. Following him is the Romulan mining vessel the Narada, captained by vengeful Captain Nero (Eric Bana) — his name is another allusion to ancient Rome . 

The Narada's presence creates an alternate timeline; Nero and his men destroy Vulcan with Red Matter before being defeated themselves. Nero and the Narada's crew stand out from other Romulans thanks to their shaved heads and tattoos; the admittedly non-canon comic "Star Trek: Countdown" suggests this is part of a mourning ritual. Normally the tattoos would fade, but Nero and his crew burnt them into their skin to ensure they'd never forget the loss of their home.

"Star Trek" returned to the "TNG" era with "Picard" and followed on from this point. It turns out that Starfleet offered to help evacuate Romulus, but after an attack on Mars, reneged on the plan; Picard himself resigned in disgust. The Romulans are far from extinct though. The Empire has collapsed into warring factions, one of which is the Romulan Free State. According to "Star Trek: Discovery," Vulcan/Romulan reunification will have become a reality by the 31st century. The groups remain culturally divided, but they again exist on the same planet, renamed from Vulcan to "Ni'var" (meaning two combined into one).

Star Trek: Enterprise - The Romulan War

• View history

Star Trek: Enterprise – The Romulan War is a two-book novel series published by Pocket Books . Following up on the events of previous Pocket ENT novels, The Good That Men Do and Kobayashi Maru , the series depicts the events of the Earth-Romulan War from 2156 to 2160 and the foundation of the United Federation of Planets in 2161 .

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• Beneath the Raptor's Wing
• To Brave the Storm

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Star Trek: Discovery Showrunner Answers The Series Finale's Burning Questions

Star trek: discovery season 5's best surprise is book and culber’s friendship, why star trek’s "incredibly optimistic" next show is set in discovery’s timeline explained by executive producer.

Warning: This Article Contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery's Series Finale - "Life, Itself"

• Star Trek: Discovery's series finale, "Life, Itself", offers closure for main characters like Michael Burnham and Cleveland Booker.
• The epilogue reveals what happens to key characters like Admiral Burnham, Saru, and Rayner after the events of Season 5.
• The finale hints at potential future storylines for characters like Tilly, Adira, and Moll, setting the stage for new adventures.

The series finale of Star Trek: Discovery , "Life, Itself", explains what happens to Star Trek: Discovery' s main characters after the series ends. Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 10 , "Life, Itself" was quickly reconfigured from just Discovery season 5's finale into Discovery 's series finale after Paramount+ ended the show's run. Principal photography for Star Trek: Discovery season 5 had been completed, so additional scenes were created for "Life, Itself" as an epilogue to Star Trek: Discovery that helps clarify what happens to Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Cleveland Booker (David Ajala), and Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman).

Star Trek: Discovery 's epilogue serves as a proper send-off for Burnham, Book, and Tilly, but doesn't mention what has happened to the rest of Star Trek: Discovery 's main characters in the decades since the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 5. While the rest of Discovery 's characters aren't name checked in the epilogue, Star Trek: Discovery 's series finale still offers insight as to what happens to the crew of the USS Discovery and Star Trek: Discovery season 5 antagonist, Moll (Eve Harlow), after the search for the Progenitors' technology is over.

Screen Rant interviews Star Trek: Discovery showrunner Michelle Paradise about the biggest questions left behind by the series finale.

10 Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green)

Admiral michael burnham leaves a lasting starfleet legacy.

Star Trek: Discovery is, first and foremost, the story of Michael Burnham's redemption, so it's fitting that Burnham is also the focus of Star Trek: Discovery 's epilogue. About 30 years after Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Admiral Michael Burnham lives a contented, comfortable life with her husband, Cleveland Booker , on Sanctuary Four. Burnham and Book have a son, Captain Leto Burnham (Sawandi Wilson), who arrives at the Burnham-Booker home to escort Admiral Burnham to the USS Discovery. There, Admiral Burnham commands Zora's (Annabelle Wallis) final mission: a Red Directive that sets up the Star Trek: Short Treks episode "Calypso".

Following Star Trek: Discovery season 5's search for the Progenitors' technology, Captain Michael Burnham continues her Starfleet career as Captain of the USS Discovery . Michael and Book reconcile their strained relationship, committing to one another in a quiet moment away from the reception for Saru and T'Rina's wedding. Burnham is entrusted with the infinity key that links to Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg), so Kovich can call on Burnham to command sensitive Red Directive missions, one of which is teased in a scene that would have closed Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

9 Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones)

"action" saru marries ni'var president t'rina.

Captain Saru grows over the course of Star Trek: Discovery 's 5 seasons from a profoundly fearful character into a commanding presence, and in the end, displays the talents of "Action" Saru , both in physical prowess and tense diplomatic negotiations. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Saru becomes a Federation Ambassador, where Saru's empathy and origin as a pre-warp Kelpien are instrumental in how Saru approaches his duty to the Federation . As an Ambassador, Saru represents the voices of newer, smaller planets seeking entry to the Federation.

After two seasons of courtship, Saru's Star Trek: Discovery character arc comes to a close with Saru's wedding to Ni'Var President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). Saru and T'Rina both respect each other's lives of duty and service to their people, so Saru and T'Rina continue their services as Ambassador and President of Ni'Var, respectively , and presumably spend their lives together.

Saru received a Starfleet promotion to Admiral in Star Trek: Discovery 's finale, as confirmed by Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) at Saru and T'Rina's wedding.

8 Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie)

Rayner remains discovery's first officer.

In the original plans for Star Trek: Discovery season 6, Commander Rayner was intended to continue as the USS Discovery's First Officer, following up with the success of his teamwork between Captain Burnham. As it stands, Rayner's character arc in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 showed immense capacity for growth , especially when Rayner rightfully took the captain's chair in Burnham's absence within the Progenitors' portal. Having earned the respect of Starfleet under Burnham's command, Rayner is likely to follow Burnham's example and work his way back up to being a Starfleet captain after being dismissed at the rank of Commander.

Commander Rayner's redemption doesn't come at the cost of Rayner's personality; instead, by opening himself up to possibilities and other people's opinions, Rayner comes up with creative solutions where all of Discovery's crew can work together. To that end, Commander Rayner is a likely candidate to help usher in Starfleet Academy's mentorship program, spearheaded by Lt. Sylvia Tilly.

It's worth noting that Commander Rayner didn't exact revenge for the Breen's destruction of Kellerun by destroying the Breen dreadnought, but instead incited a Breen version of Star Trek: Voyager by banishing them to the galactic barrier.

7 Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp)

Stamets learns to enjoy the process.

Commander Paul Stamets is already held in high regard as a "Scientific Luminary" who invented the USS Discovery's spore drive, which was on the table as an alternative to warp drive in the 32nd century. To Stamets' dismay, Starfleet discontinues research into outfitting its future vessels with spore drives, instead putting resources into the pathway drive as a warp alternative . Believing his work no longer matters to the future, Stamets spends Star Trek: Discovery season 5 devoted to the search for the Progenitors' technology, but reconsiders what it actually means to be remembered when the Progenitors' technology is classified like the spore drive was in the 23rd century.

Commander Stamets leaves Star Trek: Discovery with more patience and kindness, largely thanks to Paul's fierce bonds with his husband, Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), and their child, Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio). Stamets' new scientific approach favors genuine curiosity and exploration instead of hyper-focusing on practical applications.

Paul Stamets wasn't among the Star Trek: Discovery characters who were name-checked in the Star Trek: Discovery epilogue, but because the USS Discovery made one last jump, there's a chance Stamets may have been aboard.

6 Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz)

Culber's spiritual journey continues.

Dr. Hugh Culber truly came into his own over the course of Star Trek: Discovery , going from a minor character in Discovery season 1 to an integral part of the USS Discovery crew in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, when Culber took on the responsibility of maintaining the crew's mental health as the ship's counselor.

Dr. Culber's character arc in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 focuses on Culber's spiritual journey, which is still unresolved at the end of Star Trek: Discovery 's series finale. If Hugh is part of a Star Trek: Discovery continuation , Culber's research into the intersection of faith and science remains a potential thread to tug on, but it's also fitting that Hugh Culber's attempt to reconcile science and spirituality remains a mystery . With a newfound spiritual path, Hugh Culber is primed to continue guiding Starfleet officers in both clinical and spiritual health.

Friendship is vitally important in Star Trek: Discovery, and it's been a joy to watch Cleveland Booker and Dr. Culber become friends during season 5.

5 Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman)

Tilly makes starfleet academy history.

In Star Trek: Discovery series finale's epilogue, Sylvia Tilly is the longest-tenured instructor at Starfleet Academy , and is still teaching new students. Professor Tilly doesn't physically appear, but dialogue reveals that Admiral Michael Burnham is still in contact with Tilly in the decades since the main events of Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Tilly's status as an influential Starfleet Academy teacher is a strong hint that Tilly should be in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , the upcoming Star Trek show that continues the story of rebuilding Starfleet in the 32nd century with a whole crop of new cadets.

Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly begins her tenure as a Starfleet Academy instructor after Star Trek: Discovery season 4, and returns to the USS Discovery to assist in the search for the Progenitors' technology in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. With renewed confidence, Tilly goes back to Starfleet Academy ready to begin a mentorship program that's inspired by the beneficial one-on-one relationships between Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner, and Lt. Tilly's own mentorship of Ensign Adira Tal.

4 Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio)

Adira inspires starfleet academy changes.

Throuhgout Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Ensign Adira Tal spends more time on the bridge of the USS Discovery, and finds newfound confidence on their own after breaking up with boyfriend Gray Tal (Ian Alexander) in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal". The influence of Trill symbiont Tal is less apparent as Adira figures out an independent identity, but still sometimes shines when Adira dispenses nuggets of wisdom.

It wouldn't be surprising to see the teenaged Adira follow Tilly to the Star Trek: Discovery spinoff.

Lt. Sylvia Tilly cites working with Ensign Tal as a primary inspiration for spearheading Starfleet Academy's new mentorship program, so there's a wide open space for Adira Tal to visit Star Trek: Starfleet Academy as an example of Tilly's successful mentoring . With Star Trek: Starfleet Academy aimed at a younger demographic, it wouldn't be surprising to see the teenaged Adira follow Tilly to the Star Trek: Discovery spinoff.

Star Trek executive producer Alex Kurtzman explains why Starfleet Academy, the next Star Trek series, will be set in Discovery's 32nd century era.

3 Cleveland Booker (David Ajala)

Book ensures kwejian's memory lives on.

At Saru and T'Rina's wedding, Cleveland Booker reveals to Michael Burnham that Book's sentence was commuted, freeing Book to offer his services as an independent contractor or courier to whomever he pleases. Electing to remain with Michael, Book and Grudge accompany the USS Discovery's future missions for the foreseeable future.

In Star Trek: Discovery 's epilogue, Book is comfortably married to Admiral Michael Burnham. Book and Michael's son, Captain Leto Burnham, is named for Book's nephew who perished when Kwejian was destroyed by the DMA in Star Trek: Discovery season 4. Leto is a Starfleet captain like his mother, but is "his father's son" in temperament. Book acts as steward for the wild creatures of Sanctuary Four, where Book planted the Kwejian World Root obtained from the Eternal Gallery & Archive in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8 , "Labyrinths".

2 Moll (Eve Harlow)

Moll receives a special federation assignment.

At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Moll is in a difficult place, having lost her Breen paramour L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and any potential power Moll might have gained within the structure of the Breen Imperium after L'ak's death. Because Moll killed Breen Primarch Ruhn (Tony Nappo), Moll may actually have a price on her head that forces Moll to seek political asylum with the Federation , despite the bad taste Moll has clearly expressed for the Federation.

Seeing potential in Moll, the Federation's Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) has a special assignment in mind for Moll. No further details were given about Moll's special assignment, but because Kovich is the 32nd century identity for Star Trek: Enterprise 's Agent Daniels, it's likely that Moll will be recruited as a time agent under Kovich's orders . That may set up the possibility of Moll appearing in the upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie or Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

1 The USS Discovery Bridge Crew

Where do star trek: discovery's bridge officers go.

While not often considered Star Trek: Discovery 's main characters, several members of the USS Discovery bridge crew have nonetheless become close to our hearts over Discovery 's 5 seasons. Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduced several new 32nd century bridge officers who would likely remain on the USS Discovery if Star Trek: Discovery had been renewed for season 6. Here's where the original Discovery bridge crew members are at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 :

None of Star Trek: Discovery 's main characters are in the same emotional place at the end of Discovery 's series finale as they were when Star Trek: Discovery started. Important events on a galactic scale and the USS Discovery's leap into the 32nd century weren't just brushed off, but remain a part of Star Trek: Discovery 's characters, who were fundamentally altered by their incredibly transformative experiences. The generally positive endings of these characters' journeys over the course of 5 seasons are emblematic of Star Trek: Discovery 's own journey towards optimism and hope, resulting in a lasting legacy for Star Trek: Discovery overall.

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The Romulan War: To Brave the Storm (Star Trek: Enterprise) Mass Market Paperback – October 25, 2011

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• Book 14 of 20 Star Trek: Enterprise
• Print length 352 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Pocket Books/Star Trek
• Publication date October 25, 2011
• Dimensions 4.19 x 0.8 x 6.75 inches
• ISBN-10 1451607156
• ISBN-13 978-1451607154
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pocket Books/Star Trek; 0 edition (October 25, 2011)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1451607156
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1451607154
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.9 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.19 x 0.8 x 6.75 inches
• #1,056 in Alien Invasion Science Fiction
• #4,054 in Space Operas
• #6,428 in Science Fiction Adventures

About the author

Michael a. martin.

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Carolyn Seymour's Toreth Role In Star Trek Was Written 'For' Sean Connery

I n the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Face of the Enemy," Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis ) is kidnapped by Romulans. She is given surgery against her will to look like a Romulan commander, and told by her captor, Subcommander N'Vek (Scott MacDonald) that she is to pose as someone named Rakal, a Major in the Tal Shiar, essentially the Romulan Secret Service. Because Troi is half Betazoid, she can intuit the emotions of others and, crucially, tell if they're lying or scheming. N'Vek reveals that he needed a secret Federation ally to convince his captain, Toreth (Carolyn Seymour), to deliver a secret payload to a Starfleet vessel. The payload, audiences will later learn, is a small team of Romulan diplomats held in stasis. The diplomats need to be delivered to the Federation, as they intend to defect. 

Toreth, however, is intelligent and strong-willed and won't take suggestions from N'Vek, hence why he's kidnapped Troi and forced her to play the part of a Tal Shiar agent. Troi is outraged at the crime committed against her, but also understands N'Vek's situation. She eventually goes along with his plan. There are many tense scenes wherein Troi and Toreth butt heads over who has more authority, all while she and N'Vek try to manipulate the situation. Toreth is, of course, too bright to fall for all their schemes. 

While writing the episode, screenwriter Naren Shankar took inspiration from John McTiernan's 1990 film "The Hunt for Red October," a film about a Soviet submarine commanded by a potential defector named Marko Ramius (Sean Connery). In the oral history book "Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages," edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Shankar even admitted that the role of Toreth was inspired by Sean Connery. 

Read more: Star Trek's Gene Roddenberry Always Regretted Cutting One Character From The Show

Sean Connery Was Almost A Romulan

The story for "Face of the Enemy" is credited to longtime "Next Generation" screenwriter René Echevarria, and it seems that he and Shankar did some vital brainstorming during the writing of the episode. Eventually, the two writers decided that the Toreth should be a woman, although that didn't stop Shankar from writing the part with Connery in mind. He said: 

"We talked a lot about whether the character of the Romulan commander would be a man or a woman. We finally decided on a woman, but we had also talked about there being a little bit of a feel of 'Hunt for Red October' in the show. When I was writing it I just had this strong image of Sean Connery, so all the dialogue I wrote for the show was with Sean Connery's voice in my mind, and then just changed the name."

Toreth was eventually played by Carolyn Seymour, the prolific actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her roles in the 1975 post-apocalypse series "Survivors" and for playing Grace in the bonkers satire "The Ruling Class." Seymour is also one of the many actors to have appeared in both "Star Trek" and "Star Wars," as she lent her voice to Mon Mothma and Shmi Skywalker in various animated projects. Video game fans might know her voice from the "Gears of War" video games wherein she played the Locust Queen Myrrah. She may not have had the star power of someone like Sean Connery, but she was pliable, talented, and deeply understood the role. 

Indeed, Shankar said he was impressed by Seymour's handling of the role. 

The Federation Is Neither Stupid Nor Foolish

There was one line of dialogue in particular that Shankar could hear very clearly in Connery's voice. It was surreal, he said, to hear it coming from an actress like Seymour. He said: 

"The interesting thing is there's a line 'The Federation is neither stupid nor foolish,' and I was going off like that. And then to see the same words – with not even a punctuation mark changed – played by a woman was a very interesting thing. It was the same exact words with a different delivery and a different attitude and it worked really well. It was the ultimate gender-blind writing."

Toreth was a wonderfully memorable character, it's a pity she didn't return after the events of "Face of the Enemy." One might assume that she was arrested and/or executed by the Romulans after allowing her ship to be used as a secret transport for defectors. Her continued life was confirmed, however, in the 2009 tie-in novel "A Singular Destiny" by Keith R.A. DeCandido, which took place in an alternate timeline following a Borg invasion. Toreth, it seems, became a respected commander in the Romulan Empire during a parallel version of the Dominion War . 

So she did survive in a small way. 

Later in "Star Trek" lore, the Tal Shiar would also return, serving as one of the central antagonistic forces in the first season of "Star Trek: Picard." Despite how nostalgia-forward that series was, the filmmakers didn't think to hire back Seymour. She is still acting at age 76. 

Read the original article on SlashFilm

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‘Star Trek’ actor George Takei is determined to keep telling his Japanese American story

“Star Trek” icon George Takei has a new picture book out for children ages called “My Lost Freedom,” tackling the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans, including children, labeled enemies during World War II. (May 30)

FILE - Members of the “Star Trek” crew, from left, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, Walter Koenig, William Shatner, George Takei, Leonard Nimoy and Nichelle Nichols, toast the newest “Star Trek” film during a news conference at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, Dec. 28, 1988. (AP Photo/Bob Galbraith, File)

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FILE - Actor George Takei, who played the role of helm officer Sulu in the original television series, “Star Trek,” gives a “live long and prosper” gesture in front of a model of the U.S.S. Enterprise space ship at an exhibit at the Tech Museum in San Jose, Calif., on Oct. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

FILE - George Takei arrives at the 75th annual Tony Awards on June 12, 2022, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - George Takei arrives at the Star Trek Day celebration in Los Angeles on Sept. 8, 2021. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

A copy of “My Lost Freedom,” a children’s book by George Takei, is displayed at the section featuring in the “Being Asian in America” at a Kinokuniya bookstore specializing in selling books and magazines written in foreign languages in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

TOKYO (AP) — The incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans , including children, labeled enemies during World War II is an historical experience that has traumatized, and galvanized, the Japanese American community over the decades.

For George Takei, who portrayed Hikaru Sulu aboard the USS Enterprise in the “Star Trek” franchise, it’s a story he is determined to keep telling every opportunity he has.

“I consider it my mission in life to educate Americans on this chapter of American history,” he said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

He fears the lesson about the failure of U.S. democracy hasn’t really been learned, even today, including among Japanese Americans.

“The shame of internment is the government’s. They’re the ones that did something unjust, cruel and inhuman. But so often the victims of the government actions take on the shame themselves,” he said.

Takei, 87, has a new picture book out for children ages 6 to 9 and their parents, called “My Lost Freedom.” It’s illustrated in soft watercolors by Michelle Lee.

Takei was 4 years old when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on Feb. 19, 1942, two months after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor , declaring anyone of Japanese descent an enemy of the United States and forcibly removing them from their West Coast homes.

Takei spent the next three years behind barbed wires, guarded by soldiers with guns, in three camps: the Santa Anita racetrack, which stunk of manure; Camp Rohwer in a marshland; and, from 1943, Tule Lake, a high-security segregation center for the “disloyal.”

“We were seen as different from other Americans. This was unfair. We were Americans, who had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor. Yet we were imprisoned behind barbed wires,” Takei writes in the book.

Throughout it all, his parents are portrayed as enduring the hardships with a quiet dignity. His mother sewed clothes for the children. They made chairs out of scrap lumber. They played baseball. They danced to Benny Goodman. For Christmas, they got a Santa who looked Japanese.

Takei’s is a remarkable story of resilience and a pursuit of justice, repeated throughout the Japanese American experience.

It’s a story that’s been told and retold, in books like the 1973 “Farewell to Manzanar” by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston; “Only What We Could Carry,” edited by Lawson Fusao Inada more than 20 years ago; and “The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration,” which just came out, compiled by Frank Abe and Floyd Cheung.

David Inoue, executive director of the Japanese American Citizens League, headquartered in Washington, D.C., believes the message of Takei’s book remains relevant.

He said discrimination persists today, as seen in the anti-Asian attacks that flared with the COVID-19 pandemic . Inoue said his son has been taunted in school in the same way he was growing up.

“One of the important things about having books like this is that it humanizes us. It tells stories about us that show we’re just like any other family. We like to play baseball. We have pets,” Inoue said.

Takei and his family were sent to Tule Lake in northern California because his parents answered “No” to key questions in a so-called loyalty questionnaire.

Question No. 27 asked if they were willing to serve in the U.S. armed forces. Question No. 28 asked whether they swore allegiance to the U.S. and would forswear allegiance to the Japanese emperor. Both were controversial questions for people who had been stripped of their basic civil rights and labeled enemies.

“Daddy and Mama both thought that the two questions were stupid,” Takei writes in “My Lost Freedom.”

“The only honest answers were No and No.”

Takei said the questions did not explain what would become of families with young children. The second question was also a no-win, he said, because his parents felt there was no loyalty to Japan to denounce.

Tule Lake was the largest of the 10 camps, holding 18,000 people.

Young men who answered “Yes” became part of the all-Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which fought in Europe while their families remained incarcerated. The 442, with their famous “Go for Broke” motto, is the most decorated unit of its size and length of service in U.S. military history.

“They were determined to prove themselves and get their families out of barbed wires,” Takei said. “They are our heroes. I know I owe so much to them.”

After Japan surrendered, Takei and his family, like all Japanese Americans freed from the camps , were each given $25 and a one-way ticket to anywhere in the U.S. Takei’s family chose to start all over again in Los Angeles.

In 1988, the Civil Liberties Act — after years of effort and testimonies by Japanese Americans, including Takei — granted redress of $20,000 and a formal presidential apology to every surviving U.S. citizen or legal resident immigrant of Japanese ancestry incarcerated during World War II.

Takei’s voice became choked when he recalled how his father did not live to see it.

He noted with pride the diversity depicted in “Star Trek,” a TV series that started in the mid-1960s and developed a devout following. There, the crew that flew together through the galaxies was of various backgrounds.

“Star Trek” writer, creator and producer Gene Roddenberry wanted to portray the turbulent times and the civil rights movement on a TV show but had to do it metaphorically to make it acceptable, Takei said.

“Different people, different ideas, different taste, different food. He wanted to make that statement. Each of the characters was supposed to represent a part of this planet,” Takei said.

Takei recalled how his father taught him how the government “of the people, by the people and for the people,” as Abraham Lincoln put it in his Gettysburg Address, could also prove a weakness.

“All people are fallible, even a great president like Roosevelt. He got stampeded by the hysteria of the time, the racism of the time. And he signed Executive Order 9066,” Takei said.

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Breaking news, william shatner shades leonard nimoy’s son for claiming ‘star trek’ stars feuded: ‘he wasn’t around’.

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“Star Trek” brothers for life.

William Shatner defended his bond with late co-star Leonard Nimoy after Nimoy’s son, television director Adam Nimoy , claimed that the “Star Trek” actors didn’t get along in his new book, “ The Most Human: Reconciling With My Father, Leonard Nimoy .”

Shatner, 93, exclusively told The Post that Adam, 67, “wasn’t around” when Shatner and Leonard worked together.

“He didn’t know. He was too young to know my relationship with Leonard,” said Shatner, who recently came out with a new children’s album, “ Where Will the Animals Sleep? ” Adam Nimoy was born in 1956; Shatner and Leonard Nimoy starred in “Star Trek” from 1966 to 1969.

“I don’t know what he said in his book, but my relationship with Leonard was one of joy. To be able to share something with another human being with the full knowledge that what you’re saying is sacrosanct and personal,” the “Miss Congeniality” star continued. “So we talked about divorce and death and children and life.”

Shatner added: “We were able to share knowing that what we were sharing was between us and only between us.”

Shatner noted that Leonard was the “brother I never had.”

“He was my dearest friend,” he told The Post. “And I never had a friend like him. I never had a relationship with any male guy like the relationship I had with Leonard. I loved him, and I believe he loved me. We were brothers.”

In his new book, Adam claimed that his father — who  died in 2015 at age 83 — had a contentious relationship with Shatner back in the day.

Adam wrote in his book, “Years later, when he was sober and being interviewed by no less than Bill Shatner, Dad admitted his habitual drinking began in the 1960s to cope with the pressures of making ‘Star Trek.’ What he didn’t say during that segment — and later confided in me — was that his drinking was the result of long hours on the set, the difficult producers, and his problems with Bill Shatner.”

However, Shatner told The Post that he had a “rare” bond with Leonard where they opened up to each other about personal things.

“You never know with other people or who are fans or people who … it’s very difficult to find somebody that is so personally involved that you trust them completely,” he said. “It’s very rare. And I had that with Leonard.”

“So I don’t know what his son wrote, but the son was never around,” Shatner added, noting that Adam “had a bad relationship” with Leonard.

“So I hope that Adam is kind,” Shatner said.

Adam openly wrote about the ups and downs that the father-son duo experienced before Leonard’s passing in his book.

In an interview with Page Six , Adam claimed that he knows the reason for Shatner and Leonard’s alleged beef, but he’s keeping the truth to himself because he wants to “let sleeping dogs lie.”

“It’s unfortunate, it’s sad,” said Adam, calling his father’s relationship with Shatner “very challenging” despite “a period of time where they were really beautifully together.”

In 2016, Shatner wrote a memoir, “ Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man, ” where he revealed that he and Leonard were  not on speaking terms  for the last five years of Leonard’s life.

He said at the time that the deterioration of his relationship with Leonard was “sad” and “permanent.”

Shatner and Leonard played James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, respectively, in the original run of the “Star Trek” TV series and in several films from the sci-fi franchise.

“The Most Human: Reconciling With My Father, Leonard Nimoy” is out Tuesday, June 4.

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