The Star Trek dream team – Cast and Crew
Every sufficiently hardcore Star Trek fan has constructed a “dream team” of favorites from among the Star Trek crews – so why not Star Trek Guide? After all, what else is the internet for but creation of arbitrary lists like this? And so without further ado, STG presents our first-team and second-team All-time Star Trek dream teams! No trolling intended, we swear.
Chief Engineer: Montgomery Scott, The Original Series. Poor Trip Tucker never stood a chance. Aside from the sad fate of other Star Trek chief engineers, i.e. Geordi LaForge and B’Elanna Torres, who rarely get to do more than spout technobabble and star in just godawful episodes such as “Identity Crisis” and “Faces.” Scotty, one the other appendage, got dialogue that resonated within popular culture. Sure as the man’s a miracle worker, he’s the choice here. Second team: Trip Tucker, Enterprise.
Communications Officer: So as to spread the wealth a bit, Star Trek Guide’s making a potentially quite controversial choice and going with Ensign Hoshi Sato, Enterprise, over Lt. Uhura of TOS. Yes, Hoshi was ignored for thirds of a season at a time and was a slight headcase in his debut episode, but intellectually was an incredible badass. Seriously, she had to do the job while the not-yet universal translator was still in beta mode. Second team: Lt. Uhura, The Original Series.
Counselor: Doctor Elise McKennah, Star Trek Continues. A fascinating thing happens in the last episodes of Star Trek Continues, as we gradually discover that this representative of the Federation’s counseling pilot program was actually the main character of STC all along. Until then, Dr. McKennah shows herself to be a thoughtful optimist who embodies the Federation’s finest qualities – not to mention proving herself useful in ways Troi and Ezri Dax never did. (Sorry, folks, you know it’s true.) Second team: none; after all, the Enterprise NX-01 and Voyager all survived in far more trying circumstances just fine without a counselor aboard.
Helmsman/Navigation: Lt. Comm. Sulu, TOS: How dedicated was ol’ Hikaru Sulu to his post? Dedicated enough to raise a daughter to work the helm of the Enterprise-B! Second team: Lt. Arex, The Animated Series, because there’s no way we can go with Ensign Paris or Ensign Crusher…
Head of Security: Odo, Deep Space Nine. Since Worf and Spock, each of whom served this position at some point in their service with an Enterprise, can each be stationed elsewhere, we’ll go with the dude who held the positon for at least the run of his series. second team: Tuvok, Voyager.
Chief Tactical Officer: Lt. Comm. Worf, The Next Generation and DS9. Over the likes of Chkhov, Yar and Tuvok (missed it again!), we’re going with Worf son of Mogh, first Klingon to ever get through Starfleet Academy, avenger of his father’s name, etc. etc. Second team: Tuvok, Voyager.
Chief Science Officer: Comm. Spock, TOS and Discovery. Who else? Heck, neither Enterprise D/E nor Voyager ever ran with science officers and, all things considered, could well be not only the most popular of characters among fandom, but one of the most influential in the Star Trek universe itself. Second team: T’Pol, Enterprise.
Chief Operations Officer: Lt. Comm. Data, TNG. “You have commented on the lack of senior officers available for this mission. I believe my 26 years of Starfleet service qualifies me for such a post. However, if you do not believe the time has arrived for an android to occupy a position on a Star Trek dream team, perhaps I should address myself to improving…” Second team: Lt. Comm. Data, “You have commented on the lack of senior officers available for this mission…”
Chief Medical Officer: The EMH, Voyager. The amazing thing about this post is the number of quality entrants: McCoy, Bashir, Phlox and of course, the EMH. The good ol’ unnamed Doctor gets the slot here because, unlike his ST counterparts, he completely takes over his show. Second team: We’ll go with Dr. McCoy of TOS but we wouldn’t blame you at all for choosing your personal favorite. (Star Trek Guide’s quite partial to Phlox, actually…)
First Officer: Comm. Michael Burnham, Discovery. Not only is Burnham the first non-captain to land the starring role in a Star Trek series, she also saved her brother Spock’s bacon about 27 times in Discovery Season 2, for which fandom is certainly eternally grateful. Second team: Commander Riker or Number One of TOS and Discovery would each make a fine choice for this spot; we just know it ain’t Chakotay.
Captain: Jean-Luc Picard, TNG and Star Trek: Picard. Ah, certainly the most fractious of debates within Star Trek fandom. Each captain has his/her ardent fans, but the classic argument almost always comes down to Picard vs. Kirk. We’ll make it short and sweet: Star Trek Guide are Next Generation supremacists, so we’re taking Picard to helm our dream ship. (Besides, what other ST character got to lead two sereis?) Second team: Kirk, of course, but after watching Captain Pike just crush it in season 2 of Discovery, it’s tempting not to slide Kirk’s old mentor into this place...
Bar manager You thought the question of captaincy was tough? Try choosing between Ten Forward and Quark’s Bar! At Guinan’s place, wisdom is dispensed and science is dropped – but Quark’s has Morn, black-market booze, holosuites, dabo girls and is generally lots more fun. Certainly our ship is big enough for the operations of both…?