How would you have written Chakotay?
- Thread starter GulBahana
- Start date
First off, I think the character would have benefited from the show having a Native American cultural advisor who was not a culture-appropriating fraud. I always felt that Chakotay's spirituality was a very strong point of the character. While such subject matter would occasionally come up in Chakotay's storylines, it never really felt like a central aspect of his character. At the time, I absolutely loved the way Deep Space 9 was handling storylines focusing on religious content, and by using fictional religions, they were able to get by without any controversy. By giving Chakotay's character (what I thought at the time was going to be) real-world religious grounding would have been an exciting first for the franchise.
Of course, that aspect of his character wound up being secondary and their cultural advisor wound up being a culture-appropriating fraud, so it was all inauthentic anyway.
I also think I would have made the relationship between Janeway and Chakotay little more contentious than it was. I love how he respected the decision that Janeway made in Caretaker because "she's the captain", but I think the show could have benefited a little more on a dramatic level if they butted heads a little more often.
Of course, I know about the whole "no interpersonal conflict" thing, yada yada yada. As much as I respect Gene Roddenberry's creation, that particular mandate was both creatively stifling and unrealistic.
Of course, that aspect of his character wound up being secondary and their cultural advisor wound up being a culture-appropriating fraud, so it was all inauthentic anyway.
I also think I would have made the relationship between Janeway and Chakotay little more contentious than it was. I love how he respected the decision that Janeway made in Caretaker because "she's the captain", but I think the show could have benefited a little more on a dramatic level if they butted heads a little more often.
Of course, I know about the whole "no interpersonal conflict" thing, yada yada yada. As much as I respect Gene Roddenberry's creation, that particular mandate was both creatively stifling and unrealistic.
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Well, I wouldn't have cast Robert Beltran and gotten someone interested in their job for one. And I'd have made Chakotay an older middle aged character and Janeway younger, so they'd be more of a mentor/student relationship that ends up as a "mutual peers" thing as part of her character development.
Maybe have him be a Starfleet Senior Captain/Commodore whose mission was to infiltrate the Maquis but he ended up going native like Ro Laren did and Tuvok's mission was to discover if his undercover mission had become a full on defection.
Maybe have him be a Starfleet Senior Captain/Commodore whose mission was to infiltrate the Maquis but he ended up going native like Ro Laren did and Tuvok's mission was to discover if his undercover mission had become a full on defection.
I think Chakotay changed too fast from a Maquis to a Star Fleet officer what was kinda unrealistic.
Beside that his character didn't develope much.
It was strange when he coupled with Janeway on this planet they stranded but afterwards they never mentioned it again, not with a single word.
And it was strange to make him and Seven a couple in the very last episode.
I like him but character development was a weak point of Voyager.
Beside that his character didn't develope much.
It was strange when he coupled with Janeway on this planet they stranded but afterwards they never mentioned it again, not with a single word.
And it was strange to make him and Seven a couple in the very last episode.
I like him but character development was a weak point of Voyager.
I think having an authentic NA advisor and having more instances where he disagreed with Janeway in a meaningful manner (and I don't mean "Chakotay disagrees with Janeway; Janeway relieves him of command").
Frankly I question whether COs even should be able to simply relieve their XOs whenever they choose to do so.
Frankly I question whether COs even should be able to simply relieve their XOs whenever they choose to do so.
The Chakotay we see in select scenes from Parallax and Learning Curve. That's how I would have him.
Hard-assing B'Elanna and punching Dalby in the mug.
Not forever of course, (and not necessarily a repeat performance of the punch) but a second in command like that could have really kept things spicy.
Hard-assing B'Elanna and punching Dalby in the mug.
Not forever of course, (and not necessarily a repeat performance of the punch) but a second in command like that could have really kept things spicy.
- Give him a tribal identity grounded in actual Native American culture. And preferably cast an actual Native American as him.
- Give him longer hair in lieu of or addition to the tattoo. Which he flatly refuses to cut.
- Make him the loose cannon instead of Janeway. And have more conflict between them, especially early on.
- Reverse it every now and then, have him be the voice of reason when Janeway goes too far. And have her listen to him.
And ironically, he's one of the characters I'd change less...
- Give him longer hair in lieu of or addition to the tattoo. Which he flatly refuses to cut.
- Make him the loose cannon instead of Janeway. And have more conflict between them, especially early on.
- Reverse it every now and then, have him be the voice of reason when Janeway goes too far. And have her listen to him.
And ironically, he's one of the characters I'd change less...
Kinda tough to write for an ex-officer turned charismatic rebel leader..and then turn him in to second banana with realistically very little to do.
Unlike TOS there are no fisticuffs on modern Trek and all the “action” scenes are very tame and insipid indeed.Having a plethora of guys(Chakotay,Tuvok,Paris and Kim)standing around yelling “Shields down 20%”week after week is pretty dispiriting stuff.
Unlike TOS there are no fisticuffs on modern Trek and all the “action” scenes are very tame and insipid indeed.Having a plethora of guys(Chakotay,Tuvok,Paris and Kim)standing around yelling “Shields down 20%”week after week is pretty dispiriting stuff.
I dunno, I think there's some worthwhile irony in the idea that the Starfleet captain may be more of a loose cannon while the Maquis leader is more grounded. It certainly goes against expectations. I liked their disagreement in "Scorpion", and I still think Chakotay may have had the ultimately more reasonable argument and I loved the Myriad Universes novella that was essentially, "What if Janeway had listened to Chakotay?"
This right here is one of the biggest issues with the character. Kudos to TPTB at the time in trying to get it right but were unfortunately taken in by a fraud. Beltran is a fine actor and until the character got relegated to the background in the later seasons did the best that he could with what he was given. That said I do wish they had cast an actual Native American actor for the role. But, we have to take this within the context of the time period the show was created in too. Casting a female in the lead role and a Native American as the second in command might have been too risky in the eyes of the investors, namely UPN, and we saw how they messed with the show later on anyway.
I totally agree about a Native American cultural advisor.First off, I think the character would have benefited from the show having a Native American cultural advisor who was not a culture-appropriating fraud. I always felt that Chakotay's spirituality was a very strong point of the character. While such subject matter would occasionally come up in Chakotay's storylines, it never really felt like a central aspect of his character. At the time, I absolutely loved the way Deep Space 9 was handling storylines focusing on religious content, and by using fictional religions, they were able to get by without any controversy. By giving Chakotay's character (what I thought at the time was going to be) real-world religious grounding would have been an exciting first for the franchise.
Of course, that aspect of his character wound up being secondary and their cultural advisor wound up being a culture-appropriating fraud, so it was all inauthentic anyway.
I also think I would have made the relationship between Janeway and Chakotay little more contentious than it was. I love how he respected the decision that Janeway made in Caretaker because "she's the captain", but I think the show could have benefited a little more on a dramatic level if they butted heads a little more often.
Of course, I know about the whole "no interpersonal conflict" thing, yada yada yada. As much as I respect Gene Roddenberry's creation, that particular mandate was both creatively stifling and unrealistic.
As it was, they totally messed up his background by coming up with some fake "rubber tree people" tribe. He shold have had a real heritage, maybe as a Mayan.
As for Janeway and Chakotay, the relationship should have been like the one between Sisko and Kira. No constant conflicts but different opinions about a few things but still being able to cooperate.
Nothing wrong with Beltran. He did a good job, it was the writers who should have been replaced.
I think that the "change from Maquis to Star Fleet officer" was logical in the situation they were.
The Maquis ship was destroyed and Voyager was the only way home. Chakotay and his crew realized the fact and most of them adapted to that.
Having constant arguments between janeway and Chakotay would have turned Voyager into the same unwatchable crap which Stargate Universe was where 90% of the time was a constant squabbling and bickering between the leaders of the "Military Faction" and the "Civil Faction." Both of those Faction leaders totally unlikeable.
I agree on your statement about when they were stranded on that planet in Resolutions and afterwards. The whole situation in Resolutions was actually stupid. The Captain and First Officer catch some untreatable disease and are dumped on a planet. Doesn't make sense unless they were going to get rid of the characters as soon as possible and come up with a story as quick written and bad as The Gift. In this case they weren't even about to be dumped.
Then they tease the viewers with some romance between janeway and Chakotay and then all of a sudden it's forgotten, like it never happen. Actually typical for the Voyager writers'se erratic writing.
The Chakotay/Seven "relationship" was just..........wrong. I don't understand why they came up with it. The only reason I can see was that they wanted to give those who wanted a Janeway/Chakotay relationship a big "finger" before the show ended
I actually like Chakotay too. My second favorite after Kes. He had a lot of potential but they messed him up.
I agree with you, except for the point about "more conflicts".
Their relationship should have been like the one between Sisko and Kira. Some disagreements now and then but not all of the time.
Season ONE, Chakotay confronts his lover on her betrayal and manipulations. This should be a deep moment and what does Beltran do? Deliver it with all the emotion of early 90s Keanu Reeves. Mulgrew and Hackett act the Hell out of this while he just monotones. It's AWFUL.
All this talk of how Beltran half-assed it because he was sidelined? It's the other way around, he was sidelined because he was terrible and kept screwing up anything meaty he was given.
Beltran was trying to portray Chakotay as a soft spoken noble person that was devout in his personal beliefs yet firm in his first officer role and loyal to his Captain and crew. Sometimes, like in the clip above, he seems emotionally stunted I will admit. Here he was trying to portray anger, disappointment, sadness, and disbelief yet not act like an out of control basket case.
Well, Chakotay was a Starfleet Officer before he decided to become Maquis, so fitting back into the mold wouldn't have presented him with any difficulties in itself. That would have been second nature to him.
It's only a question of whether he represented the Maquis crew interests sufficiently to Janeway, or that he simply became her 'yes man'.
I think the character was an officer at heart and slotted back into the Starfleet groove readily.After all he had defied expectations to leave his planet and join up in the first place.
Even Riker was relegated into near redundancy so when Voy devolved into the Janeway/Seven show it was no surprise that Chakotay became likewise ignored.
I don’t dislike Voy,but it disappointed me in its lack of ambition.I look on it as the first Trek series that I wasn’t bothered if I missed an episode or not.
Even Riker was relegated into near redundancy so when Voy devolved into the Janeway/Seven show it was no surprise that Chakotay became likewise ignored.
I don’t dislike Voy,but it disappointed me in its lack of ambition.I look on it as the first Trek series that I wasn’t bothered if I missed an episode or not.
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I'd keep Chakotay in Maquis clothes for the first couple of seasons. Maybe even have him grow longer hair and a beard to help distinguished Maquis Chakotay from Starfleet Chakotay. The Maquis integrated into Voyager way too quickly. It should have been a bit more gradual.
Have Chakotay be the leading voice that fights for the Maquis to stay onboard Voyager, while his second in command Aalya is the major voice advocating for the Maquis to settle on a planet. Make it a point of contention in the earlier seasons. Chakotay would bump heads with his Maquis second in command as much as he would bump heads with Janeway.
Have the Maquis put Chakotay on trial, over frustrations regarding the middle ground he takes. And have Seska put him on trial using the Cardassian or Kazon legal system.
Go there with a B’Elanna romance in the first couple of seasons.
Have Chakotay work to recruit both Neelix and Seven to the Maquis cause. And even attempt to recruit Harry by tempting him with a promotion.
Force Chakotay to raise Seska’s baby from season 3 onwards. It would mean more Kazon with Culluh chasing after Voyager, but we would get to see a new side to Chakotay.
Have him be heavily influence by Sulu’s sponsorship, with it influencing a desire to command a USS Excelsior of his own someday.
Show a flashback with Ro Laren, and that relationship.
I’d have him get back to Earth by the 5th season using the slipstream drive on the Delta Flyer. That would open up a bunch of new arcs for Chakotay.
Once Chakotay gets back to Earth, he has to deal with Federation politics no wanting to help him because he defected to the Maquis, and put him on trial. But he would work with Baclay and Troi and Admiral Paris and Doctor Zimmerman to get the crew home.
Chakotay would clashes with selected crew form DS9 (Kira, Worf, Jake) over Sisko poisoning a Maquis planet to root out Eddington.
Track down survivors of the Maquis, as well as Seska’s relatives on Cardassia after the war
And if all else fails and Chakotay isn’t developed, I have him gets assimilated by the Borg in a no win scenario for Voyager and write him out of the show. It would help the Borg be scary again.
Have Chakotay be the leading voice that fights for the Maquis to stay onboard Voyager, while his second in command Aalya is the major voice advocating for the Maquis to settle on a planet. Make it a point of contention in the earlier seasons. Chakotay would bump heads with his Maquis second in command as much as he would bump heads with Janeway.
Have the Maquis put Chakotay on trial, over frustrations regarding the middle ground he takes. And have Seska put him on trial using the Cardassian or Kazon legal system.
Go there with a B’Elanna romance in the first couple of seasons.
Have Chakotay work to recruit both Neelix and Seven to the Maquis cause. And even attempt to recruit Harry by tempting him with a promotion.
Force Chakotay to raise Seska’s baby from season 3 onwards. It would mean more Kazon with Culluh chasing after Voyager, but we would get to see a new side to Chakotay.
Have him be heavily influence by Sulu’s sponsorship, with it influencing a desire to command a USS Excelsior of his own someday.
Show a flashback with Ro Laren, and that relationship.
I’d have him get back to Earth by the 5th season using the slipstream drive on the Delta Flyer. That would open up a bunch of new arcs for Chakotay.
Once Chakotay gets back to Earth, he has to deal with Federation politics no wanting to help him because he defected to the Maquis, and put him on trial. But he would work with Baclay and Troi and Admiral Paris and Doctor Zimmerman to get the crew home.
Chakotay would clashes with selected crew form DS9 (Kira, Worf, Jake) over Sisko poisoning a Maquis planet to root out Eddington.
Track down survivors of the Maquis, as well as Seska’s relatives on Cardassia after the war
And if all else fails and Chakotay isn’t developed, I have him gets assimilated by the Borg in a no win scenario for Voyager and write him out of the show. It would help the Borg be scary again.
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Nice ideas!
I am so happy you asked!
#1 The Maquis raider survives the events of "Caretaker" and flies alongside Voyager, Chakotay sacrificing his ship in the S1 finale. Season 2 follows the Maquis crew integrating into the Voyager crew, finally solidified in the "Basics" two-parter.
#2 If the budget doesn't allow for Maquis's ship to stick around, put the ex-Starfleeters in uniform, but those who were never in Starfleet, keep them in civilian attire, but give them rank provisional insignia and com badges. Come Season 2, slowly transition everyone into Starfleet uniform, because Chakotay forced the issue, reminding Janeway they are now one crew. Same arc as above: two seasons for the shift from two crews to one crew. Have most of the conflict in S1. Make S2 more about the Maquis assimilating into Starfleet life and finding that difficult compared to the Maquis way.
#3 Chakotay was pretty ballsy in S1-3. Keep that Chakotay around in later seasons. In S4, have Chakotay and Seven butt heads almost every episode, kind'a like Chakotay and Paris in S2.
#4 Come S5 finale, keep the Equinox around. The original Captain dies. Chakotay takes command with a promotion from Lt. Comm. to full Comm. and a mix of Equinox and Voyager crew. This last for the entirety of Season 6. In the season finale, it's the Equinox destroyed by the tactical Borg cube as Chakotay and crew scramble through the wreckage to escape pods after Chakotay gives the order to abandon ship.
#5 In the final season, once they did the Seven's homelife holodeck episode, just say screw it and start doing the Seven-Chakotay relationship. Don't be like, "Nah... we're not doing that," and then have them on their 3rd date in the series finale.
#6 In S4, have Chakotay finally confront Janeway about their feelings for each other. Janeway doesn't reject him fully, but rather, "I can't, not until I get this crew home," make it clear to the audience that if they get home while they're still young and both single, sure, but not until then. Then in the series finale, when she learns that Seven will die in the arms of her husband... Chakotay... it makes the finale that much more gut punching. She lost Seven to an away mission injury. She lost Tuvok to madness. Because she waited too long, Chakotay moved on to Seven then Chakotay went downhill emotionally over Seven's death and died of heart break just after they got back to the AQ.
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