We all love "Star Trek," but we also all know that over the course of 50 years, the franchise has had some issues with its "aliens." Some of these plot holes are addressed onscreen, like the Klingon foreheads, or the abundance of Humanoid species. But we're still left with countless other inconsistencies and underdeveloped races.
So I'm asking what your head-canons for various "Star Trek" races are.
Here are mine:
Different Trill cultures have different ideas about who, if anyone, should be joined. Obviously the Symbiossis Commission has the final word on the matter, but the planet didn't achieve a single planetary government for many centuries. Some cultures had councils hold contests to select the most fitting candidates, while others just had the contest of "whoever grabs the slug first." In some cultures the joined were the leaders; in others, they were only advisors to the rulers. And a few cultures reject the idea of joining altogether.
Royal Joining was also once totally a thing, but fell out of favor after it resulted in centuries of royal incest (as a symbiont was passed from parent to child, but was still in love with their last spouse...)
Nowadays the Trill government and Symbiossis Commission controls the entire joining systems, but people on Trill still have their opinions.
Bajor does have more than one religion. It just happens that one of those religions spread much more widely across the planet than any on Earth did, with maybe 2/3 of Bajorans belonging to the religion Kira Nerys follows, and that religion rules the planet as a theocracy.
But, in addition to being very small in populace, the other religions often still involve the Prophets in some way or another (as the wormhole aliens were getting involved in Bajor for centuries). And things like the earring or expresions like "Thank the Prophets" may have become cultural staples, used even by those who don't follow that religion--similar to Christmas decorations, or "What the Hell?"
And physically, Bajorans are more nimble than Humans. They aren't just be Humans with funny noses and sideways hearts. Kira's rebel uniform involves a net top, which seems an odd choice for combat in the forest--unless one is nimble enough to get around the trees without it getting caught on anything. During Dax's zhian'tara ritual, she chooses Leeta, a Bajoran, to host Emony, the gymnist. Emony even comments that this body is great for gymnastics. And finally, Tabor on "Voyager" was known in the Maquist for being able to do all sorts of stunts during fights without getting any dirt on him.
Ktarian foreheads vary even more than Klingons. The first Ktarian we met was Etanna Jol, in the TNG episode the game. And her forehead....looks like Riker probably wasn't sure which end he had at any given moment. Luckily, Naomi Wildman on "Voyager" looks nothing like Etanna, instead sporting a cute little row of miniature rhino horns. Many call this an inconsistency, but I choose to believe that if Klingon foreheads can vary, so can Ktarian ones.
Ktarians can account for many of the random weird-forehead ailens we see in the Federation whose species isn't named (because frankly, if each one of those represented a completely different planet, the galaxy would start to feel quite crowded).
The Orions, the Gorn, and the Naussicans are all subjects of the Klingon Empire. I first read this on "Star Trek: Online." In that context, I think the idea was that the Empire eventually conquered thoes races. But I choose to believe that they have been ruling them for most of the franchise. Because for all the "empires" we have (Klingon, Romulan, Andorian) we rarely if ever see or hear about who they've conquered. But, it is canon that Klingons allow their subjects some rights, and it's even possible for a member of a subject species to hold a position in the High Council.
Why these three races for the Klingon Empire, specifically? Because they're all aggressive/militant cultures. Meaning that either the Klingons chose to conquer them for that reason (because what's the glory in conquering a race of pacifist hemp growers?); or, they became more warlike due to Klingon influence; or, most likely, a bit of both.
The Ocampa and the Kazon are evolved plants and fungi, respectively. It would add to Kes's relation to plants, and her outrage at the Caretaker keeping her people from their sun. And when did Kes's evolution phase in "the Gift" finally set off? When she was playing with a candlelight. As for the Kazon, they not only look like mutated shrooms, but they even act like fungi, with their scavenger lifestyle.
Ocampa telepathically affect their mates. Kes told the Doctor that on her world, relationships last forever, and there is no distrust or cheating. While she and Neelix are a couple, Neelix's personality is at its worst, as he jealously treats her like a child and acts paranoid at any guy she interacts with. He gets a bit better after she dumps him, and after Kes leaves the ship, Neelix's character changes almost completely, and for the better.
Then there's the alternate future Kes saw in "Before and After." When Tom is married to Kes, he acts wildly out of character. He is uncharacteristically passive and tranquil, and at one point, says the ludicrously sappy line, "The day we got married I thought that was the happiest day of my life, but each day just kept getting better and better." As soon as Kes goes back to a time before they're married, Tom is himself again.
My theory is that when an Ocampa hooks up with a non-Ocampa, the telepathic bond can go awry and cause problems. Kes may have realized this by the end of "Before and After," hence why she chose to take actions that would prevent her future marriage to Tom.
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I'd love to hear some of your own head-canons for "Star Trek" species, even if they contradict some of my own.
So I'm asking what your head-canons for various "Star Trek" races are.
Here are mine:
Different Trill cultures have different ideas about who, if anyone, should be joined. Obviously the Symbiossis Commission has the final word on the matter, but the planet didn't achieve a single planetary government for many centuries. Some cultures had councils hold contests to select the most fitting candidates, while others just had the contest of "whoever grabs the slug first." In some cultures the joined were the leaders; in others, they were only advisors to the rulers. And a few cultures reject the idea of joining altogether.
Royal Joining was also once totally a thing, but fell out of favor after it resulted in centuries of royal incest (as a symbiont was passed from parent to child, but was still in love with their last spouse...)
Nowadays the Trill government and Symbiossis Commission controls the entire joining systems, but people on Trill still have their opinions.
Bajor does have more than one religion. It just happens that one of those religions spread much more widely across the planet than any on Earth did, with maybe 2/3 of Bajorans belonging to the religion Kira Nerys follows, and that religion rules the planet as a theocracy.
But, in addition to being very small in populace, the other religions often still involve the Prophets in some way or another (as the wormhole aliens were getting involved in Bajor for centuries). And things like the earring or expresions like "Thank the Prophets" may have become cultural staples, used even by those who don't follow that religion--similar to Christmas decorations, or "What the Hell?"
And physically, Bajorans are more nimble than Humans. They aren't just be Humans with funny noses and sideways hearts. Kira's rebel uniform involves a net top, which seems an odd choice for combat in the forest--unless one is nimble enough to get around the trees without it getting caught on anything. During Dax's zhian'tara ritual, she chooses Leeta, a Bajoran, to host Emony, the gymnist. Emony even comments that this body is great for gymnastics. And finally, Tabor on "Voyager" was known in the Maquist for being able to do all sorts of stunts during fights without getting any dirt on him.
Ktarian foreheads vary even more than Klingons. The first Ktarian we met was Etanna Jol, in the TNG episode the game. And her forehead....looks like Riker probably wasn't sure which end he had at any given moment. Luckily, Naomi Wildman on "Voyager" looks nothing like Etanna, instead sporting a cute little row of miniature rhino horns. Many call this an inconsistency, but I choose to believe that if Klingon foreheads can vary, so can Ktarian ones.
Ktarians can account for many of the random weird-forehead ailens we see in the Federation whose species isn't named (because frankly, if each one of those represented a completely different planet, the galaxy would start to feel quite crowded).
The Orions, the Gorn, and the Naussicans are all subjects of the Klingon Empire. I first read this on "Star Trek: Online." In that context, I think the idea was that the Empire eventually conquered thoes races. But I choose to believe that they have been ruling them for most of the franchise. Because for all the "empires" we have (Klingon, Romulan, Andorian) we rarely if ever see or hear about who they've conquered. But, it is canon that Klingons allow their subjects some rights, and it's even possible for a member of a subject species to hold a position in the High Council.
Why these three races for the Klingon Empire, specifically? Because they're all aggressive/militant cultures. Meaning that either the Klingons chose to conquer them for that reason (because what's the glory in conquering a race of pacifist hemp growers?); or, they became more warlike due to Klingon influence; or, most likely, a bit of both.
The Ocampa and the Kazon are evolved plants and fungi, respectively. It would add to Kes's relation to plants, and her outrage at the Caretaker keeping her people from their sun. And when did Kes's evolution phase in "the Gift" finally set off? When she was playing with a candlelight. As for the Kazon, they not only look like mutated shrooms, but they even act like fungi, with their scavenger lifestyle.
Ocampa telepathically affect their mates. Kes told the Doctor that on her world, relationships last forever, and there is no distrust or cheating. While she and Neelix are a couple, Neelix's personality is at its worst, as he jealously treats her like a child and acts paranoid at any guy she interacts with. He gets a bit better after she dumps him, and after Kes leaves the ship, Neelix's character changes almost completely, and for the better.
Then there's the alternate future Kes saw in "Before and After." When Tom is married to Kes, he acts wildly out of character. He is uncharacteristically passive and tranquil, and at one point, says the ludicrously sappy line, "The day we got married I thought that was the happiest day of my life, but each day just kept getting better and better." As soon as Kes goes back to a time before they're married, Tom is himself again.
My theory is that when an Ocampa hooks up with a non-Ocampa, the telepathic bond can go awry and cause problems. Kes may have realized this by the end of "Before and After," hence why she chose to take actions that would prevent her future marriage to Tom.
--
I'd love to hear some of your own head-canons for "Star Trek" species, even if they contradict some of my own.
