star trek troi romulan

Face Of The Enemy (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Cast and characters
• 3.5 Continuity
• 3.6 Reception
• 3.7 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Co-star
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stand-ins
• 4.7.1 Deleted references
• 4.8 External links

Summary [ ]

Deanna Troi slowly awakens in a dark room, obviously feeling discomfort and asks for the computer to turn on the lights. The lights do not come on, so Troi gets up slowly and is shocked to discover when she activates the room's light above a mirror that she has been surgically altered to appear Romulan . She doesn't know why or even where she is.

Act One [ ]

A real Romulan, Sub-Commander N'Vek , suddenly enters, and immediately begins giving her instructions. He explains she is on the Imperial Romulan Warbird Khazara , but refuses to answer any more of her questions, insisting that there is no time for a full explanation. He instructs her that she must act as Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar , and she must tell the captain of this vessel, Commander Toreth , to alter course to the Kaleb sector . When Troi refuses to comply with his instructions and demands answers, he contends that her best chance of survival is for her to do what he says. Troi senses no deception from him through her empathic senses, so she decides to go along with his plan for now.

When Troi meets Toreth, Troi is at first demure, and fails to display the commanding assertiveness of a Tal Shiar agent. The commander soon begins to press Troi for answers, and begins to get angry. This forces Troi to also become forceful. When Toreth backs down, Troi realizes that maintaining her cover means also maintaining this harsh façade throughout the ordeal.

Act Two [ ]

" Find some civilian clothes. I don't want to see you in that uniform. "

Ensign DeSeve , a Human who had defected to the Romulan Empire , is beamed aboard the USS Enterprise -D . He is immediately placed under arrest by Commander Riker on behalf of Starfleet Command for treason and is confined to quarters . Riker demands he change out from his Romulan uniform and into civilian clothing . DeSeve insists on speaking to the captain almost immediately. Riker tells DeSeve that the captain is a busy man but promises he will tell him.

When Captain Jean-Luc Picard eventually sees him, DeSeve explains that Ambassador Spock is performing some " cowboy diplomacy ," and that he wants Picard to rendezvous with a freighter in the Kaleb sector , and return its cargo to the Federation . After DeSeve explains his reasons for returning, Picard is willing to believe in his accuracy in delivering the message. He taps his combadge and orders Riker to set a course right away at warp factor eight.

Meanwhile, on the Romulan ship, N'Vek explains to Counselor Troi what is in the cargo containers: Vice-Proconsul M'ret , one of the highest-level officials in the Romulan government, and his two top aides. N'Vek explains that he is part of Spock's underground movement , and is attempting to create a way for many dissidents to escape. The plan is to have this warbird rendezvous with a Corvallen freighter , where she and they will be taken to Federation space . She is there, instead of another Romulan, because if something goes wrong, a Starfleet officer is their only guarantee of success.

In the meantime, Troi maintains her harsh Tal Shiar attitude. Over dinner, when Commander Toreth repeatedly attempts to flirt with notions of distaste and distrust of the intelligence service, she repeats her loyalty and service to the Romulan Empire, while critiquing the food, particularly the viinerine .

When they arrive at the freighter, Troi senses that its captain is lying when he says the cargo will be delivered. She quietly informs N'Vek of this fact, telling him the freighter captain has no intention of keeping his word. N'Vek simply destroys the ship without getting any orders. Toreth is furious, and demands an explanation. N'Vek explains that Major Rakal ordered him to open fire.

Act Three [ ]

When pressed for an explanation, Troi does once again the only thing she can do: she threatens Toreth to justify her actions. She orders the commander to cloak and wait.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise arrives at the coordinates specified to find no ship, or any within three light years . Picard has DeSeve brought to his ready room by Worf and demands an explanation from the defector, who cannot provide one, but reiterates his certainty of the information. He also informs Picard that he was not actually given the information from Spock himself, but someone else who spoke in person with the ambassador. DeSeve tells Picard that he trusts the man who told him this and that he would not have lied. He does add, however, that the freighter is old, and its speed and range is limited to within fifteen light years of the Enterprise 's current position.

Back on the Romulan ship, Troi engages in a heated argument with N'Vek. He justifies his actions by saying there was no alternative, and a lot of people have already died for this mission. He instructs her to head for the Federation outpost on Draken IV and use her Federation access codes to bypass the gravitic sensor nets . When she explains this to Toreth, the commander is quite skeptical, and believes it is tactically unsound. Troi does the only thing she can, and pulls rank once again. Her plan will be acted upon.

Before they can go to warp and head for Draken system , however, the Enterprise appears in the area.

Act Four [ ]

Troi decides to change the plan and have the ship hold position. Toreth ignores her, and slowly begins to maneuver out of the debris field to avoid detection. Troi allows this to happen.

The Enterprise , meanwhile, has been examining the debris. It is the remains of a freighter, one like they were supposed to meet. Lieutenant Commander Data 's analysis concludes the freighter was destroyed by Romulan weapons within the last 4.3 hours. Picard believes from this sensor data that Romulans could still be in the area, so Riker initiates red alert and orders shields up at maximum strength.

On the Romulan vessel, Troi is talking strategy with N'Vek. She wants to know if there is a way to allow the Enterprise to track them. N'Vek says that if there were, he wouldn't do it, because he wants to get them to a Federation base. Using more than the forcefulness of the major, furious for what he did to her, she shouts that they will now follow her plans, or she will pull rank and get him ejected into space for being a traitor . He then suggests there is a way, and has the ship's engineer , a sympathizer to the cause, misalign one of the warbird's nullifier cores .

Sure enough, the Enterprise begins to pick up a moving magnetic distortion off their port side, which reappears and disappears. DeSeve believes that it could be a Romulan ship based on his understanding of their cloaking technology and their power source: an artificial quantum singularity . A system in less-than-perfect condition could produce detectable readings. Picard has the Enterprise head for the distortion.

Toreth notices their movements, and isn't sure of their intent. She then orders a course directly under their hull ; if the Enterprise moves, then they have detected the warbird, and she will attack and destroy them.

Act Five [ ]

The Enterprise detects the distortion moving towards them. Picard and DeSeve are baffled by this behavior, as Romulans only perform suicide attacks when the situation is desperate. With ninety seconds until impact, Picard concludes that they should move.

When Commander Toreth gives the order to drop cloak and fire, Troi countermands her, declaring that such an attack would be foolish. The commander stands up for her abilities, causing Troi to order her removal from the bridge . Troi explains to the otherwise loyal junior officers that their families, as well as they, will bear the punishment of refusing to follow her orders, and takes command. Toreth steps down, and N'Vek is the first to take the major's orders.

Troi suggests that they use discretion instead of a bold attack. She explains that she will offer a diplomatic solution, and destroy them after their shields are down.

When the ship de-cloaks, and Troi addresses Picard on the viewscreen , the bridge crew restrains their surprise. Once she explains the attack in basic terms, she then suggests that she be beamed over to the Enterprise to discuss the matter.

The Enterprise drops shields, and when N'Vek fires, he encodes a transporter beam inside the disruptor , and beams M'ret and his aides directly to the bridge. When the pilot reports that the Enterprise is undamaged, N'Vek claims that their disruptor has malfunctioned, but a suspicious Toreth investigates and discovers that the disruptor has, in fact, been deliberately sabotaged to conceal a transporter beam. The pilot tracks the beam to the cargo bay . Toreth declares that the major and N'Vek are both traitors. N'Vek points his weapon at her, but the loyal Romulan pilot vaporizes him. Toreth disarms Troi and demands to know what was in the cargo containers. When Troi refuses to answer, Toreth says they will eventually learn the truth and then execute her.

As the warbird prepares to go to warp, they drop shields and cloak the ship. Just in time, the Enterprise beams Troi aboard. Troi is welcomed back aboard by Geordi La Forge , who takes her to sickbay . The Enterprise quickly leaves the area at warp 9.

After Doctor Beverly Crusher undoes her cosmetic surgery, Picard informs Troi that M'ret is grateful for her efforts. Troi is glad to be back, but cites N'Vek as the true hero of the operation, who sacrificed himself to save her, as well as the Romulan defectors. Picard assures Troi that N'Vek's efforts and sacrifice will not be in vain.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Listen to me carefully. You are no longer Deanna Troi. You are Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar – the Imperial intelligence. "

" Your only chance to get off this ship alive is to do as I say. "

" The man acted dishonorably. He is a traitor. "

" I've smelled better viinerine on prison ships . "

" Your opinion of the Tal Shiar is quite clear, Commander. " " I hope so. " " We ensure the loyalty of the people. Do you believe the Empire would be better off without our protection? " " Protection? From what? How is the Empire threatened by the words of an old man, a devoted citizen who was merely trying to speak his mind? How did the Tal Shiar protect the Empire by dragging him, my father , out of his home in the middle of the night? " " Clearly, your father was a traitor. " " No. He was just an idealistic old man. I never saw him again. " " I don't need your devotion, Commander. Just your obedience. " " And that's all you have. "

" Contrary to the propaganda that your superiors would have us believe, Starfleet is neither weak nor foolish. "

" People blame the military for the wars that we are asked to fight, but I think it is your kind, Major, that will be the death of us all. "

" We're not playing it your way anymore, N'Vek! I have been kidnapped, surgically altered, put in danger! I've gone along with all your plans. Now you are going to listen to me! You find a way to let the Enterprise track us, or I will go to Toreth and tell her I've discovered you're a traitor! I'll have you ejected into space! Is that clear, Sub-Commander?!! "

" Well, that about does it. How does it feel to have your own face back? " " Just right. Thank you. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script: 17 November 1992 [1]
• Premiere airdate: 8 February 1993
• First UK airdate: 11 October 1995

Story and script [ ]

Perfecting the Romulan disguise

• Originally, Doctor Crusher was to be the crewmember kidnapped, but this was changed when the staff realized that Troi's empathic abilities would be more suitable for espionage . A similar The Hunt for Red October -style premise had been previously rejected before the staff convinced Rick Berman to give it a try. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 234))
• Robert Hewitt Wolfe had pitched an episode featuring Q in which Q sent Picard, Data and Troi onto a Romulan starship, where they would be seen as Romulans by the crew. The pitch was used as part of "Face of the Enemy". ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p 45)
• Wolfe explained why the pitch was unsuccessful: " The reason it didn't go is the way I had them do it; there was no Romulan make-up involved, they weren't possessing their bodies. The visual gag was the same as Quantum Leap , where we would look at them and see them as themselves and maybe in a reverse shot we might see them as other people completely, but they didn't want to step on Quantum Leap's toes ". ( The Deep Space Log Book: A First Season Companion , p. 63)
• Naren Shankar recalled, " I wrote the first draft of the script in six days because we were really under a time crunch. I was assigned it as a free-lancer and halfway through I was brought on staff. The rewrite helped smooth out a lot of things and we had to change the ending a couple of times. The action in Act Five didn't work initially. It was harrowing but it came out well. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 270)
• The prize to be delivered to the Federation was initially a Romulan ship, but was soon changed to actual Romulans. Naren Shankar stated, " We were sitting around talking about this show and about who this important person would be that's defecting and Michael [Piller] got this look on his face and said, 'We probably can't do this, but what if the person is Spock ? They're getting out and at the end they open it up and it's not Spock. The person we take out is defrosted and we ask him what happened to Spock and he says Spock didn't make it.' I look at Michael like he's crazy and he goes, 'Nah!' " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 270)
• In the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 234), Shankar added, " It was one of those craaaazy moments. You can't kill somebody like that offscreen! ". Ultimately, however, Spock did die off-screen in the film Star Trek Beyond , due to Leonard Nimoy 's real-life passing in 2015.
• Originally, Toreth was a male. Shankar remarked that he had written the dialogue while thinking of Sean Connery 's character in The Hunt for Red October , and the dialogue remained unchanged when it was decided to use a female-female conflict. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 234)) He commented, " It was the ultimate gender-blind writing. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 270)
• Shankar named the Romulan intelligence service, the Tal Shiar , as a homage to the tal-shaya , a Vulcan martial arts technique from TOS : " Journey to Babel ". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 234))

Production [ ]

• This episode marked the debut of Worf 's ponytail. He would retain this look for the rest of the series, throughout his tenure on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , all four Next Generation films and Star Trek: Picard . Hairstylist Joy Zapata and Michael Dorn had both lobbied for the change for some time. Zapata explained, " [Worf's hair] used to remind me of a Klingon that had gone to the beauty salon; it looked like Donna Reed ! " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., pp. 234-235))
• Set designer Richard James was responsible for creating the D'deridex -class interiors seen in this episode. He explained, " We played off of Romulans having a motif represented by certain colors. We do that for identification so that certainly the Romulans would not have everything that would look just like Earth society. For us to graphically sell the idea of it being Romulan, we need to do it well with the sets, make-up and costumes which are Romulan colors. It helps to reinforce the idea that this is Romulan territory and it was not that much of a challenge because we played off of what's been established for Romulan ships… We had rooms that we'd never been into before for the Romulans and we said what would the Romulan plates and silverware look like? You get into all of that – and even simple things like chairs, which you had to design. It's not as though you could go out to the rental store. All these factors come into play. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , pp. 270-271)
• Shankar, however, was not pleased with the result. " What we ended up with was Romulan Pizza Kitchen. If you read my first draft, I was very specific about what the Romulan bridge should look like. I thought we were going to build an entirely new set. And the bridge I described was in an elongated room much like the nose of the Romulan ship. I wanted it to look alien and have the Commander standing at a rail in the back of the room. She always stands, there's no seat for her and the room ends with her back at the wall so there's no one behind her. The idea is they're so suspicious that the commander would never let anybody behind her. The entire cabin is forward of the command position and there's just one pilot and stations around that. To me that would have been cooler. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 271)

Cast and characters [ ]

• At one point, Naren Shankar suggested casting Joanne Linville to reprise her role as the Romulan Commander from TOS : " The Enterprise Incident ". However, Linville was not available. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 270)
• Carolyn Seymour had previously played another Romulan commander, Sub-Commander Taris in " Contagion ". The staff decided not to reuse Taris because it was initially assumed that the character had been killed. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 234))
• Scott MacDonald makes his second Star Trek appearance in this episode.

Continuity [ ]

• In this episode, it is revealed that Romulan cloaking devices , when operational, leave standard defensive shields off-line. Before, it was only known that a cloaked vessel could not fire its offensive weaponry. This would be an essential element to the Enterprise crew defeating Lursa and B'Etor in the Battle of Veridian III in Star Trek Generations .
• This is the first episode in which Romulan officers wear insignia on their uniform collars.
• Deanna Troi is the second Starfleet officer to be surgically altered to appear as a Romulan but the first to be altered by Romulans to appear as one of them. The first was James T. Kirk in TOS : " The Enterprise Incident ". Jean-Luc Picard and Data in TNG : " Unification I " and " Unification II " also appeared to be Romulan, but they used prosthetics rather than surgery.
• When Ensign DeSeve beams on board, he tells Commander Riker he needs to speak to "Captain Picard" urgently. However, when Picard enters his quarters, he immediately addresses him as Commander.
• It is revealed in this episode that the Romulans use an artificial quantum singularity as a power source on their starships in the 24th century . This would explain why the warp core of the Romulan science ship featured in the episode " The Next Phase " imploded as opposed to exploded . This would also be a crucial plot point in " Timescape ", later in the season.
• Until 2020, it remained the only episode/movie to deal explicitly with Spock's reunification movement, post-" Unification II ", though it was alluded to in the 2009 Star Trek film; the ultimate outcome of the movement would be revealed in DIS : " Unification III ".
• A similar premise to this one was later used in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Second Skin ", where Kira Nerys is surprised to find she has been surgically altered to appear Cardassian .

Reception [ ]

• Michael Chabon named this episode as his favorite Deanna Troi episode. [2]
• Jeri Taylor commented, " I thought it was a great role for Marina. I thought it was well written for her. I loved Carolyn Seymour as the Romulan Commander, she was outstanding in it […] I enjoyed seeing those two powerful women get a chance to sort of rise to the occasion and take off on each other. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , pp. 270)
• Ronald D. Moore remarked, " 'Face of the Enemy' is probably the best Romulan episode we ever did. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 291)

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 70, 6 September 1993
• As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition under the "Troi" section, 29 September 1997
• As part of the TNG Season 6 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• Scott MacDonald as N'Vek
• Carolyn Seymour as Toreth
• Barry Lynch as DeSeve
• Robertson Dean as Romulan pilot
• Dennis Cockrum as Corvallen freighter captain
• Pamela Winslow as McKnight

Co-star [ ]

• Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Joe Baumann as Garvey
• Cameron as Kellogg
• Gina Gallante as science division ensign
• Kerry Hoyt as Romulan aide
• Gary Hunter as Romulan officer
• Arvo Katajisto as M'ret
• Debbie Marsh as command division officer
• Michael Moorehead as science division ensign
• Sissy Sessions as operations division ensign
• John Tampoya as operations division ensign
• Guy Vardaman as Romulan centurion
• Harry Young as science division ensign
• Female command division officer
• Female Romulan aide
• Medical officer (voice)
• Romulan officer 1
• Romulan officer 3
• Romulan officer 4

Stand-ins [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Debbie David – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Michael Echols – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

2349 ; ability ; act of war ; aide ; Antares -class ; antiproton ; artificial quantum singularity ; As You Like It ; bearing ; Bokara VI ; cargo ; Clothing civilian ; Cloaking device ; container ; collision ; Collision Course ; Corvallen ; Corvallen freighter ; course / heading ; court martial ; cowboy diplomacy ; D'deridex -class ; defector ; disorientation ; disruptor array ; disruptor beam ; disruptor pistol ; disruptor power ; dissident ; dizziness ; Draken IV ; Draken system ; Federation ; Federation space ; gravitic sensor net ; homecoming ; hour ; hypospray ; idealist ; Imperial Senate ; Imperial Romulan Warbird ; Imperial War College ; Kaleb sector ; Khazara , IRW ; Khazara 's engineer ; Klingon flagship ; Klingon outpost ; Konsab ; lie ; listening post ; Military History ; military officer ; neuropsychology ; nullifier core ; number one ; power ; Rakal (alias) ; Rakal (Major) ; red alert ; rescue operation ; Research Station 75 ; Research Station 75 planet ; Romulan ; Romulan Intelligence Academy ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; Romulan planet ; Romulan scout ship ( DeSeve's scout ship‎ ); Romulan Star Empire ; Romulan underground movement ; Romulus ; search operations ; senior officer ; Sotarek Citation ; space ; Spock ; Spock's messenger ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Headquarters ; stasis ; suicide attack ; surgically altered ; sympathizer ; tachyon detection grid ; tachyon scan ; Tal Shiar ; Toreth's father ; traitor ; vice-proconsul ; viinerine ; warbird ; wardroom

Deleted references [ ]

External links [ ].

• " Face of the Enemy " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Face of the Enemy " at Wikipedia
• "Face of the Enemy" at StarTrek.com
• " Face of the Enemy " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "Face Of The Enemy" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " Face Of The Enemy " at the Internet Movie Database
• 3 Erigah (episode)

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Recap / Star Trek: The Next Generation S6E13 "Face of the Enemy"

Edit locked.

Original air date: February 8, 1993

We open in a dark room where the only visible object is a Romulan logo. We pan down to a figure lying on a bed. The figure arches up in bed, and we hear Counselor Troi's voice, telling the computer to turn the lights on, but nothing happens. She tries again, but still no lights. She gets out of bed and walks to the nearby mirror, turning its light on, and is shocked to see herself in a Romulan uniform, made up as a Romulan!

A real Romulan officer enters the room, pleased to see Troi's awake. He identifies himself as Subcommander N'Vek, but Troi immediately demands to know where she is and why she's here. He tells her that she is aboard the Imperial Romulan Warbird Khazara . She had been abducted from a neuropsychology conference on Bokara VI. He tells her that she is supposed to be Major Rakal of the Tal Shiar, the Romulan Imperial Intelligence, and she is to order Commander Toreth, ship's CO, to alter course to the Kaleb sector. As a Tal Shiar officer, Toreth is required to follow her orders. When Troi refuses to go along, N'Vek sternly tells her that her best hope of surviving is to do what he says. Sensing no deception from him, she agrees and goes to the bridge with him.

On the bridge, while beaming aboard some cargo containers, Troi, er, Rakal, meets Toreth. When Toreth tries to ask about her mission, Troi simply orders Toreth to set course for the Kaleb sector. That doesn't satisfy Toreth, who is extremely distrustful of the Tal Shiar, and when she threatens to personally open the containers, Troi tells her she cannot touch them under any circumstance, and they set course to the Kaleb sector.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise is picking up Ensign Stefan DeSeve, a former Starfleet officer that defected to the Romulan Empire 20 years ago. Upon arriving, he is promptly arrested for treason and confined to quarters by Riker. DeSeve asks to meet with Captain Picard immediately. In his quarters, DeSeve tells Picard that he has come with an urgent message from Ambassador Spock, who is performing some more "Cowboy diplomacy" . They must rendezvous with a Corvallen freighter in the Kaleb sector, and transfer its cargo to Federation space. Although he is suspicious, Picard agrees to this in light of DeSeve's reflections on his original defection.

Back on the Khazara , Troi meets N'Vek in the cargo bay. Troi is disturbed to see the guard apprehensive around her. N'Vek explains that as the Romulan Secret Police , the Tal Shiar's role is ensuring the loyalty of the Romulan people. He shows Troi the contents of the cargo containers: Vice Proconsul M'Ret of the Romulan Imperial Senate and his aides, all in stasis. He is defecting after speaking out against repressive actions of the government, so his defection would deal a major blow to the Empire. Troi realizes that N'Vek is part of the Romulan dissident movement. If they succeed, this may pave the way for other Romulan dissidents to escape. He elaborates that upon rendezvousing with the Corvallen freighter, she will go with the cargo containers to Federation space. When Troi asks why she was chosen, she is told that if something goes wrong, they'll need a Starfleet officer. Before leaving, N'Vek reminds her that the officers are due in the ward room for dinner, and as a member of the Tal Shiar, she is expected to attend.

During dinner, Toreth tries to probe "Rakal's" background in the Tal Shiar, eventually explaining why she's so distrustful of the Tal Shiar: her father had been taken away years ago for no reason. Before it gets any more awkward, an officer informs them they have reached the Kaleb sector and are being hailed by the Corvallen freighter. The freighter captain tells them they are prepared to transfer the cargo, but Troi senses deception from the captain, quietly informing N'Vek that the captain won't keep his word. N'Vek quickly shoots and destroys the freighter. Toreth immediately questions N'Vek over why he destroyed the ship, who says he'd been ordered to do so by "Rakal". Toreth attacks Troi for destroying the freight, but she reasserts authority, ordering them to cloak and hold position.

The Enterprise arrives, but finds no sign of the freighter. Picard immediately questions DeSeve over the accuracy of his message, but DeSeve assures him what he was told was indeed accurate. Noting that the freighter is an old one that could still be lightyears away, Picard warily agrees to stay.

Troi and N'Vek argue over what to do now, their mission seemingly a failure. N'Vek believes the only course of action is to travel to the Federation base at Draken IV, delivering the containers themselves. In order to do that, they will need Troi's access codes for the Federation detection grid, which is why they needed a Starfleet officer if things went awry. When they tell Toreth about this plan, she objects, believing it to be tactically unsound. Once again, Troi makes her cooperate by pulling rank. But before they go, they see the Enterprise arriving in the sector. On board, they discover the wreckage of the Corvallen freighter.

Back on the Khazara , Troi asks N'Vek if there's any way for the Enterprise to track them. N'Vek prefers to stick to their plan to travel to Draken IV, but Troi has reached her breaking point. She demands to know a way to be tracked or she will expose him as a traitor. N'Vek mentions that if the engines are put out of balance, it can create a distortion which would be picked up by the Enterprise , but only intermittently. The ship's engineer, also a sympathizer, would agree to do so.

Upon analysis, Data concludes that the freighter had recently been destroyed by Romulans. And upon picking up the distortion, they raise shields and arm weapons, following the distortion.

When Toreth realizes the Enterprise seems to be tracking them, she orders them to set a ramming course. If they are being detected, surely the Enterprise would move away. In that case, they will attack and destroy them. Before Toreth gives any order to attack, Troi orders Toreth to stand down, doing so only after N'Vek confiscates her disruptor and aims it at her. Troi hails the Enterprise , surprising Picard and everyone else to see her there. They play along with Troi's proposal, to beam her onboard to discuss terms.

As the Enterprise lowers its shields, Troi orders N'Vek to shoot a disruptor beam. The Enterprise suffers negligible damage, and the bodies of M'Ret and his aides are beamed directly to the bridge. Toreth is confused, until she finds that the containers are empty, their transporting hidden by the disruptor. She realizes that she'd been deceived. N'Vek aims his disruptor at Toreth, but he gets shot and vaporized, and Toreth takes Troi's disruptor, intending to take her back to Romulus to be executed. As the Khazara cloaks, Troi gets beamed onto the Enterprise . Back to normal, Troi is informed by Picard that M'Ret is grateful to her for her efforts, but she notes that N'Vek deserves more credit for his sacrifice.

Tropes featured in "Face of the Enemy":

• And Your Little Dog, Too! : Invoked by Troi, telling the Romulan crew that anybody who would disobey her would see their families punished, too.
• Anti-Hero : Though working for the resistance, N'Vek is a Well-Intentioned Extremist at best.
• Anti-Villain : Toreth is the primary antagonist of the episode, but the reason she's so dangerous is not because she's evil, but because she hates the Tal Shiar for being a murderous, tyrannical organization that killed her father. The fact that our hero Troi has to use the Tal Shiar's authoritarian reputation as a cudgel against her to stay alive is very ironic.
• Becoming the Mask : When Troi threatens N'Vek, she sounds more like Rakal than herself, even though she has no reason to play that role while there's no one else around. It seems Troi's starting to enjoy the role of the authoritarian, so different from her normal persona. note  Of course as Troi herself pointed out she had been kidnapped, surgically altered, and forced to participate in the operation so it's understandable that she is angry.
• Bluff the Impostor : Toreth unwittingly does this by asking Troi about a particular professor at the Romulan academy. Troi skips over the question by telling Toreth to just get to her point . Luckily for Troi, Toreth really does just want to make a point about the professor.
• A Day in the Limelight : The Trope Namer , before it was renamed from Good Troi Episode. It's also a good look into the inner workings of Romulan society.
• Deceased Fall-Guy Gambit : Troi doesn't initially pull this off when N'Vek destroys the Corvallen Freighter, instead pretending to pull rank as a member of the Tal Shiar. She then tells Toreth that the only reason why she "ordered" the freighter's destruction because the Captain was a "known Federation Spy". Toreth is skeptical at first, but later buys into it when the Enterprise shows up, believing Troi's story while surmising that the Federation is only here to find out what happened to its "spy".
• Dead Person Impersonation : There was a real Major Rakal, but she was killed so that Troi could impersonate her during this operation.
• Defector from Decadence : DeSeve went both ways with this trope, defecting from Starfleet to the Romulans as he felt they had better concepts of right and wrong, defecting back when he found the grass wasn't greener on the other side.
• The Dreaded : The Tal Shiar terrifies everybody, even Romulan military officers.
• N'Vek says that lives were lost preparing his plan, and more will die in the cause of the resistance. He's the next one to go.
• Troi reminds Toreth that they cannot use shields while cloaked, which is how the Enterprise is able to beam her back after the scheme is exposed.
• I Meant to Do That : While having dinner, Toreth suggests that Troi try a dish called viinerine. However, Troi is unfamiliar with Romulan cuisine, so she grabs a random dish, only to be pointed out by Toreth that wasn't viinerine, to which Troi says "I've smelled better viinerine on prison ships."
• Indy Ploy : Troi and N'Vek turn to this after they see through the Corvallen's motives.
• Interservice Rivalry : There is little to no love lost between regular Romulan military officers and Tal Shiar officers, which Troi and N'Vek exploit to complete the mission.
• Jurisdiction Friction : Toreth is extremely resentful of the Tal Shiar, and it's implied that she's not the only one that thinks this way. Toreth: People blame the military for the wars that we are asked to fight, but I think it is your kind, Major, that will be the death of us all.
• Karmic Death : N'Vek abducts Troi, had the real Rakal killed, and killed all those Corvallens, so he's not allowed to survive the episode.
• Leeroy Jenkins : Troi accuses Toreth of this when she prepares to attack the Enterprise , pointing out that the Invisibility Cloak doesn't let them use their Deflector Shields , giving the Enterprise the advantage in a firefight.
• Mandatory Line : Geordi only appears towards the end, being the one beaming Troi back to the Enterprise .
• Mirror Reveal : Deanna Troi wakes up, looks in the mirror, and realises that she's been given a Romulan's face.
• Mythology Gag : The Tal Shiar's name is derived from tal-shaya , the ancient Vulcan form of execution described by Spock in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode " Journey to Babel ."
• No Time to Explain : N'Vek introducing Troi to her role as Major Rakal.
• Obviously Evil : The Corvellan we see couldn't look or sound more villainous.
• Political Officer : The Tal Shiar serves this role on Romulan starships.
• Reasonable Authority Figure : As reasonable for a Romulan commander. Toreth hates the secret police, is suspicious of taking on cargo she can't verify is safe, is furious that N'Vek destroyed the Corvallen Freighter without her authorization, and worries that the Enterprise can somehow track them in cloak. In total, she reacts to each situation with an appropriate amount of reason and doesn't over or underreact.
• Sacrificial Lion : N'Vek gets shot by a Romulan bridge officer after the jig is up.
• Sailor's Ponytail : Worf starts wearing his hair this way in this episode, and will do so through the rest of the franchise.
• State Sec : The Tal Shiar's overall role to the Romulan Empire.
• Thrown Out the Airlock : Threatened, but fortunately it doesn't occur. Apparently this is a standard method of execution.
• Took a Level in Badass : Troi. Holy shit. Troi: We're not playing it your way anymore, N'Vek! I have been kidnapped, surgically altered, put in danger! I've gone along with all your plans. Now you are going to listen to me! You find a way to let the Enterprise track us, or I will go to Toreth and tell her I've discovered you're a traitor! I'll have you ejected into space! Is that clear, Sub-Commander?!!
• Trust Password : Implied by DeSeve's use of the term "cowboy diplomacy", to make it clear that his message from Ambassador Spock is legit.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist : N'Vek and the resistance are not afraid to get their hands dirty.
• Wham Shot : Troi turns on the lights — and sees the face of a Romulan .
• Worthy Opponent : Toreth sees The Federation as this, and believes that the Tal Shiar underestimates them.
• You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me! : Toreth's reaction when Troi tells her to fly into Federation space.
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S6E12 "Aquiel"
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S6E14 "Tapestry"

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Star Trek: Nemesis

The Enterprise is diverted to the Romulan homeworld Romulus, supposedly because they want to negotiate a peace treaty. Captain Picard and his crew discover a serious threat to the Federation... Read all The Enterprise is diverted to the Romulan homeworld Romulus, supposedly because they want to negotiate a peace treaty. Captain Picard and his crew discover a serious threat to the Federation once Praetor Shinzon plans to attack Earth. The Enterprise is diverted to the Romulan homeworld Romulus, supposedly because they want to negotiate a peace treaty. Captain Picard and his crew discover a serious threat to the Federation once Praetor Shinzon plans to attack Earth.

• Stuart Baird
• Gene Roddenberry
• Rick Berman
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• Brent Spiner
• 894 User reviews
• 107 Critic reviews
• 51 Metascore
• 1 win & 4 nominations

• Jean-Luc Picard

• William Riker

• Geordi La Forge

• Deanna Troi

• Beverly Crusher

• Senator Tal'aura

• Commander Donatra

• Commander Suran

• Praetor Hiren
• Helm Officer Branson

• Admiral Janeway

• Reman Officer
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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Michael Dorn was reportedly very upset about Worf having nothing to do.
• Goofs Data states that the inhabitants of Kolarus III are a "pre-warp" society, but yet the Enterprise has no problem with "contaminating" it with its presence in direct contravention of Starfleet's Prime Directive. Not only did the inhabitants see the Argo up close, as well as the Star Fleet personnel, but the Star Fleet crew fired at them, blew up one of their ATVs and possibly killed one or more of the locals. This is an unforgivable lapse on the part of the writers, producers, and director. As for the Enterprise detecting positronic signals, this does not mean that the inhabitants were the source of the technology. The violation of the Prime Directive was serious and flagrant.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Duty. A starship captain's life is filled with solemn duty. I have commanded men in battle. I have negotiated peace treaties between implacable enemies. I have represented the Federation in first contact with twenty-seven alien species. But none of this compares with my solemn duty today... as best man. Now, I know, on an occasion such as this, it is expected that I be gracious and fulsome in my praise on the wonders of this blessed union, but have the two of you considered what you were doing to me? Of course you're happy, but what about *my* needs? This is all a damned inconvenience. While you're happily settling in on the Titan, I will be training my new first officer. You all know him. He's a tyrannical martinet who will never, *ever*, allow me to go on away missions.

Data : That is the regulation, sir. Starfleet code section 12, paragraph 4...

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Mr. Data...

Data : Sir?

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Shut up.

Data : Yes, sir.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : [turning to the wedding guests] 15 years I've been waiting to say that.

• Crazy credits Both the letter 'R' in 'Trek' and the second 'E' in 'Nemesis' are presented backward within the words in order to introduce the idea of a mirror image.
• Extended Wedding Sequence - Originally, Riker and Troi's wedding was much longer and featured Wesley Crusher (played by Wil Wheaton) in attendance. (He is still sitting next to Dr. Crusher in the theatrical version) Also during the wedding, Picard opens up to Lt. Commander Data and reveals his dismay over being a private loner all his life.
• The Seduction of Counselor Troi - In the original three-hour version, Shinzon's obsession with Troi runs much deeper and there are several scenes that show him seducing and tormenting her in her mind. A scene featured in the theatrical trailers show Troi struggling with the mind meld inflicted by Shinzon and his Viceroy. You still see the effects of the torturous mind meld in the theatrical version as Troi appears fatigued and psychologically drained.
• A scene of Data teaching his brother B-4 how to eat with a fork.
• Ambassador Worf and Dr. Crusher were also featured more prominently in the three-hour version and it was revealed that Worf was on his way back to Kronos after leaving Deep Space Nine and he was featured in more action sequences that were deleted from the theatrical release. Dr. Crusher is revealed to be considering leaving the Enterprise after receiving an offer from Starfleet Medical.
• Footage of Geordi and Data planning and executing the mission to rescue Picard on board the Scimitar was also deleted and featured the swapping places of Data and B-4.
• Extended ending - Riker and Troi board the USS Titan as he takes command as Captain and she resumes her job as ship's counselor. The instatement of a new First Officer on the Enterprise is shown. Picard bids farewell to Dr. Crusher as she accepts the offer from Starfleet Medical and leaves for San Francisco.
• Connections Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Gangs of New York/Maid in Manhattan/Antwone Fisher/Star Trek: Nemesis/The Hot Chick (2002)
• Soundtracks Theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture Written by Jerry Goldsmith

User reviews 894

• universalcritics
• Dec 5, 2004
• How long is Star Trek: Nemesis? Powered by Alexa
• Why is Wesley in uniform at the wedding? And is he a lieutenant?
• Fans say there is a rule that odd-numbered Star Trek films are bad and even-numbered Star Trek films are good. What gives with this one, being that it is the tenth?
• What is "Star Trek: Nemesis" about?
• December 13, 2002 (United States)
• United States
• Star Trek X
• El Mirage Dry Lake, California, USA (private property portion of Dry Lake)
• Paramount Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $60,000,000 (estimated)
• $43,254,409
• $18,513,305
• Dec 15, 2002
• $67,336,470

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• Runtime 1 hour 56 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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The Untold Truth Of Star Trek's Romulans

Star Trek   gives good bad guy. Since  Star Trek: The Original Series'  ( TOS)  premiere in 1966, Gene Roddenberry and his colleagues have brought us lots of memorable recurring antagonists. There are the warlike Klingons, the trickster Q, and the relentless Borg — but before most of  Trek 's repeat villains came the Romulans. 

Only appearing in a few of the original series' episodes and making minor appearances in the original crew's films, the Romulans were nonetheless remembered when the  Trek  franchise was revived with  Star Trek: The Next Generation   ( TNG ). For most of their time onscreen, the Romulans have been Cold War -like opponents. They plot, they assassinate, and they threaten, but they rarely make open war on Starfleet. But when they do open fire? Well, nine times out of ten, the Romulans only let slip the proverbial dogs of war after their work in the shadows has made their victory seemingly inevitable. 

Unlike Starfleet, the Romulan military and secret agents have few moral qualms about dealing with other species, and their mercilessness helps breed paranoia within their ranks. They'll do anything to get ahead, and assume everyone they meet is just as willing. Their paranoia sometimes proves more than accurate, as even some of the most idealistic members of Starfleet have taken a break from their usual ethical high ground when dealing with the sons and daughters of Romulus. 

For more about one of  Star Trek 's oldest powers, keep reading for the untold truth of the Romulans.

Their creation was inspired by ancient Rome

According to commentary on the  TOS  season 1 Blu-ray, the idea for the Romulans came from writer Paul Schneider, who wanted worthy adversaries for Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and was inspired by the Roman Empire . 

Romulans make their first appearance in the  TOS  season 1 episode "Balance of Terror." We learn that after a bloody conflict with the Romulans, a peace treaty was forged between them and the Federation via subspace radio. The treaty establishes a neutral zone in which neither side's ships are allowed to enter. A map is displayed to the  Enterprise  crew that shows the planets Romulus and Remus on the opposite side of the zone. 

Romulus was the legendary founder of Rome. In Roman myth, Romulus and his brother Remus are born to a mortal woman, Rhea Silvia, who mates with Mars — the god of war. Left for dead by their uncle Amulius' servants, the twins are saved by a wolf. They're eventually raised by shepherds and, upon growing to adulthood and learning the truth about who they are, they kill their uncle and seek a place to start their own kingdom. There are different versions of how it happens, but at some point in the tale Romulus usually kills Remus in a dispute over where their new kingdom is to be founded. 

Considering the treachery and violence we've seen the Romulans are capable of, if nothing else Schneider picked fitting names for their worlds. 

Romulans are an offshoot of Vulcans

When the  Enterprise  first encounters Romulans, they're the first humans to actually see the race, and their physical similarities to Vulcans leaves some crew members questioning Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) loyalty. Their similar features aren't a coincidence — Romulans are an offshoot of the Vulcan species.

Centuries before the events of Star Trek  when the Vulcans begin to purge their emotions in pursuit of pure logic, not everyone plays ball. Some Vulcans reject the new ideas, and after a bloody war they leave to create their own society on Romulus and Remus. 

Romulans, however, are not   just Vulcans on a different planet. Millenia of genetic drift created many subtle variations in their physiological makeup. They still share pointed ears, but there are some obvious differences, like the prominent ridges on Romulans' foreheads. There are less obvious differences too, which Dr. Crusher learns in the  TNG  episode "The Enemy," when she unsuccessfully tries to heal an injured Romulan by treating him as if he were a Vulcan.

Predictably there are Romulans like TNG 's Sela (Denise Crosby) who feel nothing but contempt for Vulcans. But some feel a strong kinship toward their less passionate cousins. In the  TOS  episode "The Enterprise Incident," the Romulan Commander (Joanne Linville) admires and and is attracted to Spock. In the  TNG  two-parter "Unification," it's feared that Spock has defected to Romulus, when in fact he's there meeting the members of a growing movement of Romulans who wish to reunite with their Vulcan ancestors. 

One of the first onscreen Romulans was Spock's dad... kind of

If you're more familiar with the original crew movies than with  TOS , or more familiar with  TNG , then you may be surprised to learn who played the first onscreen Romulan Commander: Mark Lenard, who would later appear in "Journey to Babel" as Spock's father Sarek. Lenard reprised the role of Sarek in  TNG , in a number of the original crew movies, and even lent his voice to Sarek in  Star Trek: The Animated Series . But before he played Sarek, he played the unnamed Romulan Commander in "The Balance of Terror." 

Speaking to  Starlog  (via MyStarTrekScrapbook ) in 1984, Lenard said the Romulan Commander role was the second time he'd gone up for a part on  TOS . And while the second time proved the charm as far as getting on the series was concerned, it would take a third try before he got to meet any of the series regulars. In "Balance of Terror," all of the communication between his character and the  Enterprise  crew takes place on a viewscreen, so there was never any need for him to be in the same space. It wasn't until he returned as Sarek that he was able to meet the intrepid crew.

Lenard wasn't the only Romulan in that episode to return later as a Vulcan. Lawrence Montaigne, who plays the ambitious Romulan officer Decius in "Balance of Terror," returns as the Vulcan Stonn in season 2's "Amok Time." 

The Romulans boast a number of secret cabals

One of the reasons so many Romulans remain loyal to their government is the Tal Shiar — a powerful secret police that conducts clandestine operations both inside the Romulan Empire and against Romulus' rivals. They kidnap, torture, assassinate, and don't lose much sleep over any of it. 

The Tal Shiar is first mentioned in  TNG but becomes more visible in  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ( DS9 ), when we witness how resilient the organization is. In the two-part DS9  story spanning "Improbable Cause" and "The Die is Cast," the Tal Shiar join forces with the Cardassians' secret police — the Obsidian Order — in a sneak attack on the Dominion. The whole thing turns out to be a trap and their fleet is decimated. The events wipe out the Obsidian Order and help lead to the overthrow of the Cardassian government. The Tal Shiar, on the other hand, are still one of the most powerful parts of the Romulan government when we meet their leader Koval (John Fleck) in the  DS9 s eason 7 episode "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges."

More recently in  Star Trek: Picard ,   we learn the Tal Shiar is a part of an older organization called the Zhat Vash — something so secret some Tal Shiar members believe it's a myth. The Zhat Vash is dedicated to wiping out all synthetic life, and it's embedded in governments all over the galaxy, including the highest ranks of Starfleet.

A favorite episode proves Starfleet isn't above using Romulan tactics

The Romulans are often depicted as unduly paranoid in contrast to the well-intentioned heroes of Starfleet. In a fan-favorite episode –  DS9 's "In the Pale Moonlight" — Starfleet proves that sometimes the Romulans should  be paranoid. 

Captain Ben Sisko (Avery Brooks) commits himself to convincing the Romulans to enter the war against the Dominion. He enlists the enigmatic Cardassian Garak (Andrew Robinson) to retrieve Dominion plans to invade Romulus. When that doesn't work out, Garak sells Sisko on the idea of creating a fake holographic record of the Dominion leaders discussing the invasion of Romulus. Sisko invites the Romulan Senator Vreenak (Joseph McHattie) to DS9 to show him the recording, but the senator sees through the lie. Not long after an enraged Vreenak leaves the station, we learn his ship has been destroyed and the Tal Shiar believes the Dominion is behind it. Sisko realizes Garak never meant for the fake holo-record to work, but instead always planned to assassinate Vreenak and pin it on the Dominion. Sisko is enraged and even attacks Garak in his shop, but in the end — because he's desperate to defeat the Dominion — he keeps the truth to himself. 

The entire story is told from Sisko's point of view as he reads it into a log entry. In the final moments of the episode, as soon as he finishes the tale, he orders the computer to delete it. 

Romulans make Star Trek's most famous beverage

Apparently, when Romulans aren't plotting to dominate the galaxy, they like to party. Sprinkled here and there throughout the  Trek  franchise is Romulan Ale — a  very  strong alcoholic drink that is illegal in the Federation, yet Starfleet officers keep getting their hands on it anyway. 

The first time the beverage is mentioned is in 1982's  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan when Bones (DeForest Kelley) brings a bottle of it to James Kirk for his birthday. Kirk is noticeably surprised at how strong the drink is. Regardless, he somehow doesn't have a problem serving it during a diplomatic dinner aboard the  Enterprise  in 1991's  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country — a detail that is used against him and McCoy when they're framed for assassinating the Klingon Chancellor. Ben Sisko serves what appears to be replicated Romulan Ale to a Romulan senator in the  DS9  episode "In the Pale Moonlight," though the senator refers to it as "kali fal," which may or may not be the Romulan name for the blue drink. At the wedding reception for Riker and Troi in 2002's  Star Trek: Nemesis , Worf (Michael Dorn) complains that "Romulan ale should be illegal" as he nurses a headache. "It is," Geordi (Levar Burton) reminds him.

As far back as the TOS  episode "The Enterprise Incident," the Romulan Commander shares a blue drink with Spock as she's trying to seduce him, though we never hear its name. 

In 1995, they wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas

In 1995, the Romulan Empire made its first appearance on a Hallmark commercial. No you didn't misread that. Promoting a Romulan Warbird Christmas ornament, Hallmark released a commercial depicting the pointy-eared aliens kidnapping a Hallmark cashier to interrogate her about how she'd "pirated" the design of the ornament from the Romulans. 

And they didn't just get any actors to show up in costume and makeup. The cheerful cashier's interrogators are mostly  Star Trek  actors who had already played villains on at least one  Trek  series. Martha Hackett — the Romulan woman in the commercial — is probably more well known to  Trek  fans as the Cardassian Seska on  Star Trek: Voyager . But she'd also played the Romulan officer T'Rul in the two-part  DS9  episode "The Search." The introduction of the Defiant  includes a cloaking device on loan from the Romulan Empire and it's T'Rul's job to run the cloaking device and keep its secrets from Starfleet. 

Considering neither T'Rul nor any other Romulan is shown on board the  Defiant  to safeguard their cloaking secrets after "The Search," they apparently weren't any better about protecting their secrets than they are at interrogating Hallmark cashiers.

Romulans are in lots of first drafts, but fewer final drafts

When it comes to the Trek  movies, the Romulans usually play second fiddle if   they show up at all. Romulans were the chief antagonists of J.J. Abrams' 2009  Star Trek  reboot, but before that they failed to take center stage in any of the movies. The closest they got was 2002's  Star Trek: Nemesis ; their homeworld and government are important to the plot, but the main villain is Shinzon (Tom Hardy) — a clone of Picard — and a race of former slaves called the Remans. 

But it isn't for lack of trying. The Romulans were originally meant to take a larger role in a number of  Trek  films. Remember the Klingons in 1984's  Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ,   led by the ruthless Commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd)? According to a 2002 issue of  Star Trek: The Magazine , it was originally going to be the Romulans who clash with the  Enterprise in orbit of the Genesis planet — not Klingons. They were  originally planned as the villains for 1998's  Star Trek: Insurrection , but were ultimately replaced by the face-stretching Son'a. In Michael Piller's unpublished book Fade In , the  Trek  writer wrote that Patrick Stewart — among others — was very much against the inclusion of the Romulans, who the actor felt were "unexciting." Stewart worried that using the Romulans would make it appear as if "we just couldn't come up with any new bad guys." 

The process of turning an actor into a Romulan has evolved

The look of the Romulans, the process of creating that look, and the resources devoted to it have all changed significantly since their first appearances. In  TOS , Romulans look almost identical to Vulcans, and the cost of adding latex pointy ears to actors made them too expensive to use on background actors. On the  TOS  season 1 Blu-ray commentary, we learn that in "Balance of Terror," only two of the Romulan actors were actually given the ears while the rest of the Romulans are made to wear helmets hiding their ears.

Romulans show up a lot more once  TNG  comes around, and their reintroduction comes with a new design. Prominent brow ridges were added to Romulan prosthetics. According to the reference book  Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , this was both to make the Romulans appear more menacing and to help differentiate them from their Vulcan cousins.

As of the 2020 premiere of  Star Trek: Picard , hi-def technology changed things. On  The Ready Room  – the  Picard  after-show — prosthetic designer Vincent Van Dyke said that "every single background performer, all the way to the foreground hero characters" not only are fitted with ears, but "laced brows." Every single Romulan actor on  Picard  wears a prosthetic piece that includes eyebrows which have been painstakingly laced — one hair at a time — into the prosthetic. Long gone are the days of fitting the extras with skullcap helmets. 

In Star Trek: Picard, the Romulans become both friends and foes

One of the unique things about  Star Trek: Picard is that while it gives us plenty of Romulan villains, we also meet possibly the most sympathetic Romulan characters to ever appear in any  Trek  production.

When we find the retired Picard running his family vineyard, he's accompanied by two Romulans who treat him like nothing less than family. Laris (Orla Brady) and Zhaban (Jamie McShane) are former Tal Shiar agents who live with Picard, cook for him and — when a Zhat Vash squad comes gunning for the retired admiral — risk their lives for him. Their loyalty springs largely from Picard's efforts to evacuate the Romulan Empire. Both are fiercely protective of Picard, particularly Laris. 

At the same time, the Romulans have not all left their more villainous impulses behind. Along with Picard's Romulan friends, the newer series introduces us to the seductive Narek (Harry Treadaway), his ruthless sister Narissa (Peyton List), and the fanatical Zhat Vash whose agents have the unsettling ability to spit out a corrosive liquid that kills both themselves and anyone unlucky enough to be nearby. 

Star Trek: Picard forces 2009's Star Trek to make more sense

One of the interesting side effects of  Star Trek: Picard and its stronger focus on the Romulans is that it manages to reach back in time and force 2009's  Star Trek to make more sense. 

A lot of fans — even those who enjoyed J.J. Abrams' reinvention of the  Trek  franchise — weren't overly impressed with Eric Bana's Nero. The Romulan villain goes into the past and, among other things, destroys Vulcan. Nero does what he does purely for vengeance, to get back at the Federation for the supernova that destroyed Romulus and killed his family. To some fans, Nero's motivations didn't add up. After all, the Romulan supernova is a natural phenomenon. How could Nero blame the Federation, the Vulcans, or anyone else for not helping, particularly when you consider how hostile the Romulans have been to, well...  everyone ? 

But with  Star Trek: Picard and the backstory it presents, Nero's quest for vengeance comes into focus. In  Picard  we learn that Starfleet committed to helping evacuate the Romulan Empire and then, after the unexpected synthetic revolt on Mars, backed out of the endeavor. From Nero's point of view, it's one thing to stand by and do nothing; it's quite another to offer help and then to withdraw it at the 11th hour. It makes Nero's rage much easier to relate to, though his actions are no less monstrous. 

A Complete History of the Romulans in Star Trek

Since The Original Series, the Romulans have been one of Star Trek's most mysterious villains, but who are they and how do they relate to the Vulcans?

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The romulans were created to be star trek 'romans', the timeline of the romulan star empire, the romulan cold war and joining forces against the dominion, the destruction of romulus changed star trek timelines.

Some of the most mysterious villains in Star Trek are the Romulans, whose history with Earth dates back to before the time of Star Trek: The Original Series . The Romulans are depicted as an oppressive group with a militant culture and are arguably even less agreeable than the Klingons. Still, they have united in common cause with the Federation in some instances.

When Star Trek: Discovery advanced the timeline by 900-plus years, the Romulan Star Empire was no more. Their home planet, Romulus, was destroyed. Thanks to Spock's efforts to expose their culture to Vulcan logic, the Romulans found a new home on Ni'var, the renamed Vulcan homeworld. In fact, along with their distant, pointy-eared cousins, the Romulans are part of the Federation in the 32nd Century. Romulans went from unseen enemies in Star Trek 's history to cohabitating with humans' first alien friends, but have plenty of story left to tell.

How Gene Roddenberry Lost Control Over the Star Trek Movies

Before Star Trek returned for its second wave of stories, the creation of the Romulans was a point of contention. In a featurette on The Original Series Blu-ray, writer and franchise legend Dorothy Fontana said freelance writer Paul Schneider invented them by taking inspiration from the ancient Roman Empire. Schneider confirmed this in Captain's Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyagers by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, calling his creation "an extension of the Roman civilization to the point of space travel." This is the impetus for their militaristic society, drive to conquer and fanatical loyalty to the unseen Emperor.

The Romulans appeared twice in Star Trek: The Original Series and weren't fully fleshed out as adversaries until the time of The Next Generation . Originally, they looked just like Vulcans, but makeup supervisor Michael Westmore added forehead ridges and a different hairstyle. The Romulans were considered to be the villains in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , but the production opted for the more popular Klingons. They would have taken the place of the S'ona in Star Trek: Insurrection . However, Patrick Stewart objected to their inclusion thinking fans wanted a fresh villain. Ironically, the opposite was true.

The Romulans also appeared as villains in Star Trek: Nemesis , Star Trek (2009) and in Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard . Because they were originally introduced as an "offshoot" of Vulcans, Leonard Nimoy appeared as Spock on The Next Generation to send the character to make peace with them. His final mission was to reintegrate the Vulcan and Romulan cultures as one society. Star Trek: Discovery revealed he succeeded indirectly by the 32nd Century. While there was an Earth-Romulan war, this story hasn't been told yet, likely because humans never saw their enemies in the flesh.

Star Trek: What's the Story Behind Every Enterprise Design?

In the Star Trek universe, it was discovered that most humanoid life could trace its genetic origins to a single star-faring species billions of years in the past. They traveled the universe colonizing many planets, and both Vulcans and Romulans share traces of this DNA. At some point in Vulcan's history, before the populace adopted the logic-based philosophy of Surak, a group of Vulcans went to the stars and eventually settled on Romulus. These beings became Romulans, and possibly Remans, the pale-skinned, scaled "slave caste" of the Romulan Star Empire, at least through the late 24th Century.

By the 22nd Century, the Romulan Star Empire was known by Vulcans, yet they had no contact with their long-distant cousins. In fact, this connection was lost to history among Vulcans, although Romulans retained that information. On Star Trek: Enterprise the NX-01 encountered a planet surrounded by cloaked mines. They briefly exchanged communications with this unknown race, but never identified them for certain. Later, the Romulans sent spies to Vulcan to attempt reunification, but when Captain Archer and T'Pring discovered Surak's teachings, the plans fell apart.

A long-distance Romulan plot also attempted to foster war in the galaxy via cloaked drones, controlled telepathically. This caused Captain Archer to form an alliance with founding members of the Federation , thereby starting the process of its creation. In 2156, Earth and Romulus went to war. The Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites united again to defeat them in 2160, whereby the neutral zone was established. The treaty was negotiated via long-distance communication. The Romulans were never seen until the USS Enterprise encountered a cloaked vessel attacking Earth colonies near the edge of the neutral zone.

10 Star Trek Time Travel Stories That Changed Canon

Two years after this encounter, Captain Kirk was ordered to violate the Neutral Zone to steal a cloaking device. He succeeded and captured a Romulan commander as well. Later, in Star Trek: The Animated Series , the Romulans tried to steal the Enterprise, but were defeated. By the late 23rd Century, the Romulan Star Empire had an ambassador at Federation headquarters. He was part of the conspiracy to prevent the Klingon Empire and the Federation from signing the Khitomer Peace Treaty. The Romulans remained isolated until the mid-24th Century.

There was a Cold War between the Empire and the Federation with many incidents amounting to 45 appearances in the second-wave series and films. Notable encounters included the attempted defection of Admiral Alidar Jarok. A Romulan spy impersonated the Vulcan ambassador T'Pel. After a test of a new cloaking device failed, the USS Enterprise-D helped the stranded Romulans. The Enterprise conducted two cover missions on Romulus. First, they were sent to retrieve Spock who had decided to preach Surak's teachings to Romulans. They then sent Deanna Troi to help Vice-Proconsul M'Ret defect to the Federation.

The Romulans still engaged in conflict with the Klingons periodically throughout the 24th Century. They also tried to steal an experimental starship, thwarted by the ship's Emergency Medical Hologram and the EMH from the USS Voyager. The Romulans stayed out of the Dominion War, until Captain Sisko aided Garak in framing the Dominion for the death of one of their ambassadors. They remained allies until the war ended.

Star Trek: Discovery's Kenneth Mitchell Was Heroic On and Off Screen

The film Star Trek: Nemesis took place in 2379, when the Remans rose up against the Romulan masters. A clone of Captain Picard named Shinzon became the new praetor. He brought the USS Enterprise-E to Romulus under the ruse of peace talks, but he needed Picard to heal a medical malady. His plan was to launch a war with the aim of destroying Earth. His defeat led to true diplomatic negotiations, aided by Ambassador Spock. In the 2380s, a cosmic accident destroyed Romulus. Spock and a mining vessel captained by Nero were sent to the past and created an alternate timeline, in which Vulcan was destroyed.

Back in the Prime Timeline, Admiral Picard tried to help refugees from the (now so named) Romulan Free State relocate. The Romulan secret order Zhat Vash used synthetic lifeforms to destroy the Utopia Planitia shipyards and the relocation fleet. Years later, the group attacked two synthetic lifeforms -- "children" of Data -- and a retired Picard helped save them and a planet full of their kind from destruction. A group of Romulans also captured a Borg cube, creating the Borg Reclamation project. The Artifact, as it was called, ended up landing on the planet of synthetics, where they presumably took over the effort.

By the 32nd Century, the Romulans and Vulcans successfully reunified. Vulcan was renamed Ni'var, and while there remained cultural tension, the two cultures lived in relative peace. When a cosmic accident caused all the dilithium crystals to explode, which prevented warp travel and killed countless people, Ni'Var retreated from the Federation. With the help of Captains Michael Burnham and Saru, they agreed to rejoin the union. This means the forthcoming series Starfleet Academy could introduce Romulan cadets.

Star Trek series and films are streaming on Paramount+, save for Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix and the first ten films currently on Max.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

Who are the Tal Shiar? What the Romulan spies mean for Star Trek: Picard

Picard tweaks the backstory of the galaxy's shiftiest snoops.

Nobody expects the Tal Shiar! The three weapons of the Romulan Secret police are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency. Picard has made these cunning Romulan spies even more mysterious and fanatical. If you thought the references to smug cyberneticist Bruce Maddox in the first episode were some deep Next Generation cuts, you probably weren't expecting the return of Romulans spies so secret they didn't even have a name until Season 6 of TNG. In the second episode of Picard — "Maps and Legends" – the Tal Shiar return with a new origin story and a scarier name: the Zhat Vash.

So how does it all fit into the Star Trek timeline? Here's what the Romulans don't want you to know about the Tal Shiar and the species' history of spycraft. Spoilers ahead.

From their very first appearance in the original Star Trek episode, " Balance of Terror ," the Romulans were all about espionage. They're the first alien race to use a cloaking device, and prior to "Balance of Terror," Starfleet didn't even know what the Romulans looked like, despite having fought a huge war with them in the 22nd century.

Even in "Balance of Terror," the phrase "Romulan spies" is spoken aloud, mostly because a random guy thinks Spock could be a Romulan informant because of the whole pointed ears thing. Essentially, this very early episode introduces a terrible enemy that looks exactly like Vulcans.

By the time of their second appearance in TOS , "The Enterprise Incident," spying was completely baked into the show's conception of the species. The episode follows Starfleet's counter- espionage efforts, complete with Kirk going undercover in Romulan disguise as to steal some sweet cloaking tech.

"The Romulan Commander" (Joanne Linville) in "The Enterprise Incident" (1968)

Romulans look nearly identical to Vulcans, because Romulans used to be Vulcans. That is, until they split from their logical brethren to found their own world roughly around the 4th century CE. Though the Tal Shiar are never mentioned in TOS or the first five seasons of TNG , nearly every Romulan-centric episode centers around spying, subterfuge, and trickery.

It wasn't until TNG season 6, episode 14, "The Face of the Enemy" where the phrase "Tal Shiar" was spoken and we found out what they really were: super-secretive Romulan spies. In that episode, Deanna Troi woke up on a Romulan ship, disguised as a Tal Shiar enforcer named "Major Rakal." Here, we learned even "regular" Romulans don't trust the Tal Shiar, whose powers were virtually unchecked, allowing them to order around even warbird commanders with impunity. (This doesn't mean other Romulans had to like it, though.)

Deep Space Nine revealed that many other species had their own versions of the Tal Shiar. The Cardassians have the Obsidian Order, and even Starfleet has the shadowy Section 31. The Tal Shiar collaborated with these top-secret groups throughout the Dominion War in DS9 . They were a huge part of "In the Pale Moonlight," and "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges." Though Voyager was set far from the influence of the Tal Shiar, in the episode "Message In a Bottle," the organization tried to steal an experimental Federation ship called the USS Prometheus .

The Tal Shiar also pops up in a non-canon comic book called Star Trek: Countdown, written in 2009 by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. This four-part miniseries was presented as part of a backstory for the Star Trek 2009 reboot, and 24th century Romulans freaking out over that supernova Jean-Luc talked about in the Picard premiere. Though no longer considered canon, the comic did feature the Tal Shiar using harvested Borg technology to enhance Nero's ship, which explains why it was freaking badass when it traveled through time and killed Kirk's dad.

Again, this comic book Tal Shiar stuff isn't canon, but Picard has created a way for this detail to still work. In "Maps and Legends," we learn that a version of the Tal Shiar (the Zhat Vash) is operating on Earth and they hate artificial intelligence. The episode also shows a bunch of Romulans harvesting Borg technology, and it seems like they've been doing it for a while.

Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) undercover as member of the Tal Shiar in "Face of the Enemy."

In Picard , there's a lot to suggest that Jean-Luc's new Romulan housekeepers and winery co-workers — Laris and Zhaban — are former Tal Shiar. A very recent comic called Star Trek: Picard: Countdown straight-up confirms this. (It's co-written by Picard co-creator Kirsten Beyer.) In this comic book, we learn all about Jean-Luc's early efforts to evacuate the Romulan Empire. In the first issue, he meets a younger Laris and Zhaban, who explain they were forced to leave the Tal Shiar because they fell in love. Jean-Luc sticks up for them in this comic series, which is why, after the destruction of the Romulan Star Empire, they decide to stick with him.

This why Laris is such a good detective in "Maps and Legends," and why she knows about the rumors of the Zhat Vash. She and Zhaban were basically badass Romulan secret agents before settling down to make wine with Picard. This means, that in some ways, he's never had better or more competent protection.

As far as the new mysteries of the Zhat Vash, which Laris describes as a "much older cabal," all this stuff is brand new to Star Trek canon. The reasons why the Zhat Vash — and by extension, the Tal Shiar — hate A.I. so much are yet to be revealed.

New episodes of Star Trek: Picard come to CBS All Access on Thursday mornings.

Star Trek: The Earth-Romulan War Explained

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Star Trek: 8 Most Powerful Federation Starships, Ranked

Star trek: why did the war between klingons and the federation end, star trek: how portrayals of the klingons have changed since their first appearance, quick links, what and when was the earth-romulan war, what was the legacy of the romulan war, how romulans have remained a key enemy in star trek, why hasn’t the romulan war ever been seen on screen.

• The Earth-Romulan War is a critical event in Star Trek history, leading to the establishment of the United Federation of Planets.
• Plans to bring the Romulan War to screen have fallen through, but its build-up and aftermath has been felt through multiple Star Trek series.
• Despite the franchise never showing the war, Romulans have become a key enemy, known for manipulating events from the shadows of the Beta Quadrant.

The Earth-Romulan War is one of the most important events in Star Trek ’s dense history but also one of the least explored. A combination of factors and missed opportunities have left this explosive war surprisingly vague. Like the Romulans themselves, it has stayed in the shadows.

However, fans have seen a lot of the build-up and even more of the consequences across Star Trek ’s various series. Lurking in the Beta Quadrant, the Romulans have been a persistent threat, underpinning some incredible stories since their iconic first appearance in 1966.

Star Trek: Why Are Romulan and Klingon Starships So Similar?

They may be renowned blood enemies, but have the Romulans and Klingons ever formed a military alliance?

The Earth-Romulan War was first mentioned in the Original Series ’ thrilling introduction to the Romulans, ‘Balance of Terror.’ That game of cat and mouse between the USS Enterprise and a Romulan Bird of Prey was the first time humanity and Romulans saw each other, and oddity explained as view screen technology not being available during the war.

Fans have only seen the build-up to and consequences of the devastating space war in the franchise. It was the crucial final element to turn the treaties and alliances achieved by the missions of Jonathan Archer’s Enterprise NX-01 into the United Federation of Planets.

6 Most Powerful Weapons In Star Trek History, Ranked

Star Trek's rich lore has introduced fans to countless pieces of technology—including extremely powerful weapons capable of great destruction.

During Star Trek: Enterprise , fans saw Romulans seeking to unsettle and disrupt alliances forming on their border. Avoiding the direct continuity issues, the Romulans were a remote threat, seeding tension with drone ships and minefields. This aggression culminated in the Earth-Romulan War between 2156 and 2160 — a major, but unsophisticated interstellar conflict.

As Spock explains in ‘Balance of Terror,’ the war involved primitive ships and atomic weaponry. The war ended with the decisive Battle of Cheron, which inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Romulans at the hand of a Human, Vulcan, Andorian and Tellarite alliance.

The immediate effect was the establishment of the Neutral Zone , creating a buffer zone between the Star Empire and Starfleet that kept each other at arm’s length. However, the most significant impact was the establishment of the United Federation of Planets, as seen in the Enterprise finale ‘These are the Voyages…’ after the series had time jumped the war.

For the Romulans, the defeat would set the stage for centuries of interstellar policy. The political effects within the Romulan Empire lasted well into the 24th century, as seen in TNG episodes like ‘The Defector.’

Star Trek: The Relationship Between Vulcans & Romulans, Explained

What connects these two star-crossed foes, and are they really so different?

Losing the war dictated Romulan tactics for many years, reinforcing their preferred method manipulating from afar. The defeat's influence is felt in their attempts to derail the Khitomer Peace Accords in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and shadowy interference in the Klingon Civil War at the climax of TNG ’s Fourth Season, among other nefarious schemes.

Romulans haven’t had the profile of their louder Beta Quadrant neighbors, the Klingons, but that suits both empires' characters. Still, if anything, the Romulans have been underused. After they were replaced as the villains of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (director Leonard Nimoy thought the theatrical Klingons were a better fit), it took 10 movies for them to take the villainous lead in the final film of the TNG era, Nemesis . Even then, the Romulan Senate had been overthrown by the suppressed inhabitants of Remus and a deranged clone of Jean-Luc Picard.

After skirmishes in the Original Series , some using Klingon-designed ships , TNG reintroduced them as a major villain at the end of Season One. ‘The Neutral Zone’ was an oddly structured episode but repeated the same trick as ‘Balance of Terror.’ After more than half a century of isolation, Romulans reappeared to an unsuspecting Federation with a new look, a devastating new Warbird, and the threat of “We are back.”

6 Darkest Star Trek Characters, Ranked

Despite Star Trek's portrayal of a utopian future, there are many characters throughout the franchise who feature some very dark characteristics.

When Star Trek returned to TV screens after a long break, Star Trek: Discovery chose the Federation-Klingon War as the backdrop to its first season. However, it was notable that a few years later, Strange New Worlds threw Captain Pike into ‘Balance of Terror’ in the alternate reality of its first season finale, ‘A Quality of Mercy.’

By debuting with a bonafide classic episode, the Romulans seem to have won a battle but not a war with the Klingons. Half a century later, ‘Balance of Terror’ continues to be the benchmark for the Romulans, while the Klingons have never been defined by such an iconic introduction.

Star Trek is a huge media franchise with a long history of starships, the Starfleet Federation has had some incredible classes of ships in this time.

One unfortunate similarity between the Klingons and Romulans has dictated the Star Empire’s path in recent years. In Star Trek VI , the explosion of the Klingon moon Praxis led to a new era of peace with the Federation — acting as a bridge between the Original Series and TNG . In 2009’s Star Trek , the destruction of Romulus when its star went supernova inadvertently established the Kelvin timeline and set the stall for the events of Star Trek: Picard .

Fans have been unlucky not to see the Earth-Romulan War on the screen. The closest it has come is through the build-up in Enterprise , where Romulan machinations inadvertently created the alliance that would form the basis of the Federation. Had Enterprise made it beyond four seasons, viewers would undoubtedly have seen more Romulan subterfuge and possibly even the war.

What important moments brought these two warring nations together?

Another missed chance came on the big screen. The Romulan War was intended to provide the backdrop of the 11th movie in the franchise, Star Trek: The Beginning . Bridging Enterprise and the Original Series , the script for The Beginning suggested Jonathan Archer’s Enterprise had been stationed at Risa during the initial Romulan attacks that kicked off the war. The movie was shelved in favor of the Kelvin timeline reboot, which put a young Kirk back in charge of the USS Enterprise opposite the devastating Romulan villain Nero .

Romulan on-screen appearances remain as withdrawn and stealthy as the species, unlike their noisy neighbors in the Klingon Empire. Fans may one day see how the Romulan War unfolded, but until then, it’s unsurprising that the Romulan Star Empire is keeping some secrets to itself.

From the Original Series to Discovery, the Klingons seem to have undergone both plastic surgery and significant cultural changes.

• Movies & TV

Star Trek: Why The Romulans Were Bald In The J.J. Abrams Movies

A s J.J. Abrams took the helm of the "Star Trek" franchise, there were plenty of twists and tweaks he applied to the point in the timeline when James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) met his green-blooded BFF-to-be, Spock (Zachary Quinto). One detail involved Romulans, the biological cousins of Vulcans, who shared similar eyebrow styles and pointy ears. In Abrams' "Star Trek," the species have a considerably different appearance from what we had seen in the shows previously. Led by Eric Bana's Nero, any Romulan on-screen was bald, bearing facial and head tattoos. While it might appear like a subtle and interesting detail applied to the Kelvin timeline of "Star Trek ," the truth is that the design was so that audiences could tell them apart from Vulcans.

It is certainly a logical approach to making it easier for casual audiences to decipher which pointy-eared alien to keep an eye on. According to TrekMovie.com , back when they were trying to snag any rumor they could in their tractor beam before the film's release, it was confirmed that all actors playing Romulans -- whether Bana, his on-screen number two played by Clifton Collins Jr., or background performances -- had to give themselves a trim. It was slightly before the film's release that a reason was also established for the Romulan's tattoos, which were backed up by a heartbreaking expansion on events set before the film.

Read more: Star Trek Stories That Are Actually Horrifying

A Clear-Cut Explanation Revealed The Romulans New Look

Before the 2009 film's release, IDW Publishing released a four-issue comic book series called "Star Trek: Countdown," exploring the events that led Nero to get his revenge on the original Spock (Leonard Nimoy). As explained in "Star Trek," Nero's blind rage for the legendary Vulcan is born out of the destruction of Romulus, for which he holds Spock responsible. As captain of the mining vessel, the Narada, Nero and the rest of his crew shaved their heads and inked themselves as a sign of mourning for losing their home planet.

As explained in "Star Trek: Countdown #3," a Romulan tradition during a time of loss saw mourners paint symbols onto their skin, and their gradual fading would signify the passing of the sorrow felt as their own life carried on without those who were lost. Nero and his crew, however, made the tattoos permanent, believing that their lives were over when they lost their home and family. As a result, the ink would never fade.

It's an excellent little detail that "Trek" fans may only have been aware of if they snatched up the books before the film's release. Also, along with "Star Trek: Picard," which expanded on  the untold truth of "Star Trek's" Romulans  and the failure of the planet being saved, it certainly paints an even stronger argument as to  why Eric Bana's Nero is the most dangerous villain in "Star Trek" history . 

Read the original article on Looper

Screen Rant

Star trek makes enterprise’s doctor phlox species matter in discovery’s future.

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Star Trek: Enterprise Cast & Character Guide

Star trek: discovery’s breen go too far beyond other enemy alien ships, star trek: discovery’s 4 starfleet ships saving federation hq identified & they’re not enterprise or voyager.

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, "Whistlespeak".

• "Star Trek: Discovery season 5 uncovers the vital role of Denobulans in Starfleet's future with Dr. Kreel's involvement in the Progenitors' treasure."
• "Entry of Dr. Kreel continues the legacy of Enterprise's Dr. Phlox, highlighting the importance of the Denobulans in the Federation's history."
• "Dr. Kreel's name check in Star Trek: Discovery reaffirms the presence of Denobulans in the 24th century, bridging the gap between Enterprise and the future."

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, "Whistlespeak" reveals that Star Trek: Enterprise 's Denobulan species, popularized by Dr Phlox (John Billingsley), played a hugely important role in the future of Starfleet and the Federation. The latest clue to the Progenitors' treasure is located on the planet Halem'no, a pre-warp planet which has been given a subtle helping hand from the Denobulans. Discovery season 5, episode 6 , written by Kenneth Lin and Brandon Schultz, and directed by Chris Byrne, reveals that Denobulan scientist Dr. Hitoroshi Kreel was one of the five scientists who hid the Progenitors' treasure 800 years ago.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6's revelations about the Progenitors' treasure and its link to the Denobulans is a welcome reminder of the species. Star Trek 's most notable Denobulan, Dr Phlox, was a hugely important figure in the 22nd century, serving as chief medical officer aboard the first version of the starship Enterprise . Phlox's adventures on the Enterprise NX-01 helped to establish the rules of the Federation that are still followed almost a millenia later in Discovery season 5. Discovery 's new Denobulan, Dr. Kreel, therefore, continues the legacy of Enterprise 's Phlox .

Star Trek: Enterprise introduced new faces to the prequel series set a century before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series.

Why It Matters Star Trek: Discovery’s Dr. Kreel Is Denobulan Like Enterprise’s Dr. Phlox

The Denobulans were one of several alien species introduced in Star Trek: Enterprise , and were popularized by the character of Phlox. Because Enterprise was canceled , and there were no Denobulan characters seen in Star Trek 's 24th century , there was a risk that the species may have faded into obscurity. Star Trek: Discovery 's Dr. Kreel is proof that the Denobulans were alive and well in the 24th century, and still played a vital role in the affairs of the United Federation of Planets. There is no better example of this than the Federation President's decision to recruit a Denobulan scientist for their top secret Progenitors mission.

Although Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 6, doesn't feature Dr. Kreel on screen, he's still an affirmation of Enterprise 's big additions to the canon of Star Trek aliens . The other alien scientists searching for the Progenitors' treasure were all members of iconic species who have played integral roles in shows like the Betazoids from Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Trills from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . It's fitting, therefore, that one of Star Trek: Enterprise 's Denobulans is also part of this vitally important research group.

Other Denobulans Besides Enterprise’s Dr. Phlox In Star Trek

Although sightings of the Denobulans are rare outside Star Trek: Enterprise , Doctors Phlox and Kreel aren't the only Denobulans who have appeared in the wider franchise . In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 4, "Mugato, Gumato", two Denobulan researchers are attacked by a Mugato. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow", a Denobulan cadet accuses the Enterprise's transporter chief of stealing a ring, a dispute broken up by Lt. La'an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong).

Most notably, Lt. Barniss Frex (Eric Bauza) from Star Trek: Prodigy was the first commissioned Denobulan Starfleet officer depicted on screen. The unfortunate Denobulan became a victim of Prodigy 's Vau N'Akat villains and their Living Construct weapon when the crew of the USS Protostar visited the subspace relay station CR-721. However, Frex blamed the young Protostar crew for his misfortune when he was recovered by Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the USS Dauntless. Hopefully, Star Trek: Discovery 's Denobulan scientist will lead to further appearances from Dr. Phlox's species in Star Trek 's future.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

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Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the USS Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi must keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. The ship's bridge crew includes Captain Carol Freeman, Commander Jack Ransom, Lieutenant Shaxs and Doctor T'Ana. This is the second animated spin-off in the franchise after 1973-74's "Star Trek: The Animated Series," but has a decidedly more adult tone and humor.

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.

• Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
• Star Trek: Enterprise (2001)

Den of Geek

Discovery Season 5 Just Brought Back a Lost Piece of Star Trek Voyager Canon

The Breen have really taken over Star Trek: Discovery at this point, which is why it might be time to revisit Deep Space Nine.

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers.

Since its inception in 2017, Star Trek: Discovery has been compared to various aspects of the Star Trek franchise. But, perhaps the show it most closely resembles, at least tonally, is Deep Space Nine , the gritty ‘90s spin-off of The Next Generation . And, with its fifth and final season, it feels like Discovery knows it’s the Deep Space Nine of modern Trek , and has leaned into that feeling more than ever.

The series has also taken on the mantle of being the new DS9 by simply making a ton of references to that series, as well as continuing huge storylines from that series. In the 7th episode of season 5, “Erigah,” Discovery makes a ton of references to the breadth of the Trek canon, with a specific focus on DS9 . Here’s all the best easter eggs and shout-outs you might have missed.

The Return of Nhan 

At the top of the episode, we get the first appearance of Rachael Ancheril as Nhan since season 4 episode “Rubicon.” Nhan’s journey is unique within Star Trek , and Discovery specifically. Originally a part of the crew of the USS Enterprise under Pike, Nhan joined the Discovery in season 2 during the search for the Red Angel. She stayed with the crew when they jumped to the future in season 3, making her seemingly the only Enterprise crew member from the 23rd century who now lives in the 32nd century . Nhan is from Barzan II, a planet established in the TNG episode “The Price.”

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Dominion War Medical Research 

Culber says he’s doing a deep-dive into Dominion War medical research, in order to learn more about the Breen, noting, “We don’t know much about Breen physiology.” This is accurate since, although the Breen appeared for the first time in DS9 , they never took their helmets off in that series. Culber’s deep dive into Dominion War research is also interesting in light of Star Trek: Picard season 3. It was in that season that we learned Starfleet was secretly experimenting on Changelings. Did Culber stumble on any of that research?

“Never Turn Your Back on a Breen”

Reynar reminds President T’Rina of the Romulan saying, “Never turn your back on a Breen.” This comes from the DS9 episode “By Inferno’s Light,” and was uttered by an unnamed Romulan prisoner. Although T’Rina is seemingly Vulcan, the Vulcans and Romulans are essentially the same people in the time of Discovery . As revealed in season 3’s “Unification III,” all Vulcans and Romulans live together on the planet Ni’var, previously known as the planet Vulcan.

Breen Attack on the Federation 

In this episode, we’re reminded that “the last time the Breen paid a visit to the Federation, they destroyed an entire city.” This references the Deep Space Nine episode, “The Changing Face of Evil,” in which the Breen attack Starfleet Headquarters on Earth, directly, and nearly destroy all of San Francisco. Most of the city was rebuilt by the time of the Picard flashbacks in season 1 of that series, and certainly, is fully rebuilt by seasons 2 and 3 of Picard . But, it seems like the Federation has not had a direct battle with the Breen in Federation space since the DS9 era.

Tilly Is Worried About Her Cadets

In another reference to DS9 and “The Changing Face of Evil,” Tilly expresses concern about her cadets safety if the Breen attack Federation HQ. In the DS9 era, Starfleet Academy was still located in San Francisco, though now it’s at Fed HQ. That said, the upcoming show, Starfleet Academy , set in the Discovery timeline, will move the Academy back to Earth, and San Francisco.

We learn in this episode that the next piece of the Progenitor puzzle is a book called Labyrinths of the Mind , a Betazoid manuscript written by Dr. Marina Derex. “Marina” is almost certainly a reference to Marina Sirtis, the beloved actress who has played the half-Betazoid character Deanna Troi in all of The Next Generation and Picard , a few cameos on Voyager , and the Enterprise finale.

The book was also written in 2371, which is the same year that the USS Voyager left space station Deep Space 9 for the Badlands. It’s also the same year that Thomas Riker stole the USS Defiant from the same station. It’s also the year that the USS Enterprise-D crash-landed its saucer section on Veridian III in Star Trek Generations , which also means it’s the same year that a time-displaced Captain James T. Kirk was killed. Big year!

Seven of Limes 

Reno mentions a cocktail called “Seven of Limes.” This can only be a reference to Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), the former Borg drone turned Fenris Ranger and Starfleet Captain. Because Discovery is set several centuries beyond Picard Season 3, we can only assume that Reno and the crew now have knowledge of events well beyond the early 2400s.

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“A Holodeck Adventure for the Littles”

Reno jokes that the entire premise of the current clue—connected to a library card—makes everything sound like “something out of a holodeck adventure for the littles.” The most prominent holodeck adventure for children that we’re aware of in Trek canon is The Adventures of Flotter , which first appeared in the Voyager episode “Once Upon a Time.” In Picard season 1, Soji had a Flotter lunchbox.

The Badlands 

By the end of the episode, the Eternal Gallery’s location—and thus the location of the book  Labyrinths of the Mind —is revealed to be in the Badlands. This is an unstable area of space that was first mentioned in…you guessed it… Deep Space Nine ! Although the Badlands is most famous as the area where the USS Voyager went missing in its 1995 debut episode, “Caretaker,” the concept of the Badlands was introduced about a year earlier in 1994, during DS9’s second season, specifically in the episode “The Maquis Part 1.”

The Badlands is located near what used to be Cardassian space, so in its next episode, Discovery will literally be traveling directly to the neighborhood of Deep Space Nine . We have no idea if the wormhole is still there in this time period, or if that old station is still kicking. But, as Discovery continues to drop surprises in its final season, we can all keep our fingers crossed for a glimpse of a very special space station.

Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

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Published Dec 3, 2020

Shoulder Pads of Power: Romulan Fashion and Women’s Empowerment

A brief and fashionable history of Romulan women

StarTrek.com

Characters like Jadzia Dax, Kira Nerys, and B’Elanna Torres gifted viewers with examples of strong women in the science fiction genre. Romulan women have remained in especially bold and authoritative roles of leadership throughout the various iterations of the show from The Original Series (TOS) to Star Trek: Picard.

Notably, the Romulans’ iconic shoulder pads have come back in vogue in the new Picard series. Commanding the attention of all as a symbol of strength, the shoulder pads particularly present on women characters’ costumes remind new and veteran Star Trek viewers alike of the power resting on women’s shoulders.

Anatomy of a Romulan

A Short History of Shoulder Pads

Initially created as men’s athletic wear in the late 19th century, shoulder pads have been a prominent part of women’s fashion since the 1930s. In her article, “ The History of Shoulder Pads and How They Indicate Social Progress ,” Sophie Shaw relays how Italian-French surrealist designer Elsa Schiaparelli first experimented with women’s silhouettes using padding sewn inside clothing, notably incorporating shoulder pads inside structured jackets. Into the 1940s, Joan Crawford brought shoulder pads to the big screen as part of her signature look, and they became a popular wartime chic style. During the Second World War, women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers. The militaristic Victory suit with a more masculine shoulder shape helped women integrate into professional spaces previously dominated by men. Shoulder pads went out of style soon after the war but regained popularity during the 1980s with ‘power dressing.’ Women’s power suits usually involved straight skirts or slacks paired with a shoulder-padded blazer. Among various celebrities and politicians in the late 1900s, the United Kingdom’s first woman Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was known for wearing shoulder pads, assuming a traditionally male-dominated role with a broad-shouldered silhouette, which costume designer Amy Roberts has brought back into public consciousness with the most current season of The Crown .

Presently, women celebrities and politicians like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez continue to wear power suits with both traditionally masculine and feminine qualities as a symbol of professional competence and gender equality. In 2018 and 2019 fashion designers such as Demna Gvasalia have incorporated shoulder pads into their creations experimenting with the form of both men and women’s silhouettes. Using 3-D modeling to create precisely angled shoulders, Shaw reports Gvasalia’s Spring/Summer 2019 collection added what has been described as a ‘futuristic’ element to this evolving fashion trend.

A Romulan Fashion Statement

It should come as no surprise to Star Trek fans that shoulder pads are a futuristic fashion statement as a featured detail of Romulan costuming since the 1980’s. On a number of women character’s costumes, shoulder pads contributed to Romulan women’s commanding presence from TNG to Picard .

Though sans shoulder pads, the first Romulan woman character on screen was a powerful and intelligent Commander in the TOS episode, “The Enterprise Incident.” The Commander never loses her air of authority, even after she is deceived by Kirk and Spock. The next time a woman Romulan makes an appearance is Subcommander Taris in The Next Generation (TNG) episode “Contagion,” who is also in a command position on the Romulan warbird Haakona . The notable visual additions to the Romulans’ ensemble in TNG are the prominent shoulder pads on both the men and women’s uniforms. In TOS, there are consistent differences between men and women’s costumes that are not limited to the species the actors are portraying. Like Lt. Uhura, the unnamed Romulan Commander in “The Enterprise Incident” wears a short skirt version of the Romulan sashed uniforms.

The 24th century Romulans have less colorful gender-neutral uniforms which denote several aspects of Romulan society. The Romulan uniform’s gray bulky tunics and straight slacks indicate that Romulans are practical and militant. Unlike the Starfleet uniforms in TNG, they are loose fitting and do not emphasize the waist, hips or chest. A departure from TOS, Romulan women characters are not sexualized and at a glance look no different from the men. Even Romulan civilian clothing that is seen in the TNG two-part episode, “Unification,” have similar shoulder-padded tunics and uniformly cut hair on men and women. From a production standpoint on TNG, there is simply much more representation of Romulan women characters compared to other alien species. There were few examples of Klingon or Cardassian women characters beyond the two reoccurring antagonists Lursa and B’Etor, and no examples of women from other popular species like the Ferengi until later in Deep Space Nine (DS9). Though there are numerous Romulan women in TOS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager, most Romulan women characters are in the military and are usually in leadership positions or specialists like T’Rul in the DS9 episode, “The Search.”

Changing Gender Roles and Clothing Strong Women

The best example of not only Romulan women in positions of authority, but also the empowering effects of the shoulder pads is in the TNG season six episode, “Face of the Enemy.” In this episode, Counselor Deanna Troi is kidnapped and transformed into Tal Shiar agent Major Rakal to help smuggle Romulan defectors to the Federation aboard a Romulan warbird under the nose of Commander Toreth played by the talented Carolyn Seymour. The two women are the focus of the plot, as Troi and Toreth play a captivating game of cat and mouse. During a dinner scene aboard the Romulan warbird, the viewer can feel the electric tension in the room as Troi and Toreth exchange barbs debating politics, military strategies and ethics. Notably, the men in this scene outnumber the women, though only Toreth and Troi speak during the entire dinner.

Furthermore, the shoulder pads endow Troi’s character with unprecedented confidence and air of authority even under adverse circumstances. While Marina Sirtis still appears quite feminine as Major Rakal, there is no denying that when her character woke up in the bulky Romulan uniform, Troi owns her newfound authority and utilizes her position as a Tal Shiar agent to intimidate her foes and complete her mission. The shoulder pads function to empower Troi with a more masculine silhouette without eclipsing her femininity. Major Rakal sitting in the Commander’s chair of the Romulan warbird with her imposing shoulders starkly contrasts Councilor Troi’s usual seat to the side of Captain Picard wearing a form-fitting catsuit.

The infamous shoulder pads make a comeback in Star Trek: Picard to emphasize the formidable power of Picard’s new Romulan foes, namely Narissa and Oh. These two women characters are introduced early in the series as undercover Romulan operatives in Starfleet working for the shadowy Zhat Vash. After Narissa and Oh reveal their true identities, they don the iconic shoulder pads in later episodes. In “Broken Pieces,” viewers obtain insight into Narissa’s traumatic past explaining why she joined the secret sect of the Tal Shiar with her aunt Ramdha. In the scene where they experience the ‘Abomination,’ or vision on Aia they are wearing dark robes with triangular leather shoulder pieces attached to the outside of their tunics. This new external interpretation of the shoulder pad returns during the season finale, “Et in Arcadia Ego Part 2” when Commodore Oh exchanges her Federation Head of Security Uniform for a sleek black Romulan military ensemble. Throughout the season, Narissa and Oh prove to be cunning adversaries for Picard and the crew of La Sirena.  Narissa leads the Romulans on The Artifact, a Borg cube disconnected from the collective, while Oh cleverly orchestrates the Zhat Vash’s plan to ban synthetic lifeforms from inside the Federation.

Watching Commodore Oh in the Picard season finale arriving with her fleet of warbirds and her glorious angular shoulders, my sister and I both snapped our heads to look at each other and exclaimed, “the shoulder pads!” We instinctively understood from the simple detailing on the shoulders that these costumes were meant to visually strengthen these Romulan women, while also reflecting their positions of authority — the magic of great costuming work!

Love them or hate them, shoulder pads have been a symbol of power in women’s fashion since the early 20th century. Their incorporation into the gender-neutral Romulan uniforms denotes a gender-equal society in the Star Trek universe and continues to communicate a message of women’s empowerment to generations of viewers.

A Closer Look at Romulans

Kaja Gjelde (she/her/hers) is a Sami-American writer and researcher with an MA in Indigenous Studies. Gjelde is a life-long Trekkie, feminist and linguaphile who lives a semi-nomadic lifestyle with her Norwegian Lundehund. Find her on Twitter @KGjelde.

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

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