#lt. barclay

[spockeye-fierce]

[rhinexstone]

Reginald Barclay is lowkey the most radical example of how true communist/socialist structures work on disabled individuals

Like it’s not secret Barclay struggles with addiction, paranoia, hypochondria, and OCD. He is capable of massive social conflict and ethical breeches, especially being a victim of harassment and bullying as well.

But his arc isn’t about exploitation, instead it’s about recovery and mental health, along with keeping people to the social standards they set for themselves.

More below!

His arc starts off with him one social media platform away from being an incel. He has immense social anxiety, an addiction to a fantasy outlet, and routinely exploits and violates fictional recreations of his female peers that are stripped of autonomy. He is bad at his job, bad at talking, always late, just….bad.

And his work is the symptom of his mental health. His superiors catch onto this, and dig deeper into realizing that he is struggling so, so much. And to do so, then help, is to confront the fact that yes Barclay breaks social taboos, but the empathy that these people pride themselves on must extend to those that chafe against them too.

This is especially difficult for those he has violated— fictionally, but nonetheless violated. Especially for Deanna, whose job and ethics require her to help and reach out, but knows exactly how her patient objectifies her. It would be so easy to transfer him out, but that’s not fixing the issue. That’s not helping him.

And then after all this? He still has his issues!! People with poor mental health have a bag of onions worth of layers they must peel back for them to heal and improve themselves. He continues to work with Troi, and we see time and time again that he’s now seeing her as human and working on building back trust and a healthy appropriate relationship between them. And Deanna gets to be uncomfortable, because Barclays been doing better and can take it when someone doesn’t perfectly like him.

With every uptick in paranoia or other mental issue, Barclay is met with support. Riker runs tests on him when asked, then explains exactly what is happening to soothe his medical anxiety. And people have a hard time helping him, but they work through it. People are under a social contract to help each other in Star Trek, and with Barclay we see this in tandem with social conflict. But Star Trek is what we CAN be, so we find a way to work through it.

And what I love? As he heals, he blossoms. He managed to get a job on the Enterprise, but with help, became famous for his work with Voyager, a local legend in Holodeck programming, and the only human unscathed by Spot. And he’s happy. He gets to be happy, have friends, do well, live a good life, and thus improve the lives of those around him as well.

[chiosblog]

Since today is battlestar galactica birthday I propose this special au (that nobody asked for but I already love)

Intergalactic husbands

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

I know the venn diagram for this is razor thin, but like, Lt. Barclay definitely had a Phantom of the Opera holodeck program, right? Right? Like how could he not? There's no possible way, with his obsession with Troi (I mean especially with her voluminous curls) that he didn't make a poto program with her as Christine.

The real question I have is would he cast himself as the Phantom (seems likely, since he's the title character), or as the heroic Raoul?

I guess it depends on whether he based the program off of the book, where Christine is more genuinely terrified of the masked madman and clings to Raoul for protection (in this case Barclay would play Raoul) or off of the musical, in which the true nature of Christine's affections is more ambiguous and the Phantom more of a sympathetic villain/anti-hero. In this case Barclay would play the Phantom, but likely change the ending to one where Christine refuses to leave when the Phantom tells her and Raoul to go.

Or maybe he's done both? But he definitely, definitely did this.

[bcbdrums]

i'm in love, your honor.

no but serious reg barclay...has a very, very, very special place in my heart. trek isn't trek without him, for me. personal reasons. but this character deserves ALL the love. and dwight schultz is fabulous.

"This has been the thing I've been afraid of all my life... that I'd go in and not come back... But I guess... if I'm ever going to confront my fear, it might as well be now."

star trek: the next generation - realm of fear, season 6 episode 2

[spocks-husband]

Everyone say thank you to Lt Barclay for inventing autism

[lupotterdraws]

LT. BROCCOLI BARCLAY

(I’m in a bit of a funk so I’ve been rewatching TNG for the comfort factor <3)

[theeminentlyimpractical]

Lt. Reginald Barclay; end of watch 21 November 2024.

Lt. Barclay, you are clear to go 10-7, 10-42. Godspeed.

[violationoftheprimedirective]

you guys have no idea how excited it made me to see Barclay again in Voyager. I am so happy for him I love you Reginald <3

[ihaveaweirdidea]

Lt. Reginald "Brocolli" Barclay was my favorite TNG member. 💚

[gettheorion]

[rhinexstone]

Personally I LOVE how all the voyager episodes involving contact with Earth is just Barclay running around like a chicken with his head cutoff and his emotional support therapist/bff Deanna Troi attached at his side like a cleaner fish and a shark

[concentrated-crocodile]

send all my love to ✨HIM✨

[waspstar]

society if barclay was in a skant the whole time

[doughyduo]

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ASDJFKASDFHAUSDFASD

[monotremer]

Adorable sketch of Data & frens chillin' :3...well, except for one; muh poor boi Reginald never really chills lol

(Source)