#this has nothing to do with ds9

[notreallyworthreading]

Let's be real here. There are so many talented as fuck people here. Even if I don't understand what the hell you posted, it's all so creative my ears bleed.

[youngpettyqueen]

I am once again staying at my grandma's house for the night so if people wanna send DS9 prompts... lil requests... I would love to do some short writings tonight

[smol-blue-bird]

I know I said it as a joke when I first started watching this show, but I’m getting the vibe that they’re actually laying the groundwork for a Kira/Odo romance, and I… don’t hate it?

[tuttle-did-it]

unpopular opinion, I could not stand Lwaxana Troi. I find her cringy and exhausting-- I know that was the point, but not in an 'aww she's so fun' way, just in a 'no really, this is the best they could come up with for the wife of the creator?' way.

I know the fans loved her, Majel seemed cool, whatever. But I couldn't stand her character. There is not a single episode with her in it that I enjoy. and I HATE that she was on DS9. I don't care much about TNG (ST:Picard made me retro-actively hate TNG) but DS9 deserved better. And her relationship with Odo never made sense.

Don't come for me. I know everyone loves her. I know you think I'm wrong. I don't care. I just hate her, and nothing is going to change my mind.

WHY IS LWAXANA TROI ON DS9 AND WHY IS SHE TRYING TO FUCK ODO

[garaks-padded-bra]

your "i'm having nightmares" julian looks like he's at that stage in life where his first reaction to getting stabbed is to giggle and say "oh you!" while garak somehow freaks me out. i think it's his tiny eyes - i'm too used to his excessively wide-open stare. also, i appreciate the ugly mustard yellow outfit.

When I first started drawing garak I drew him with big big big eyes - due to the whole wide open stare thing. But then as I kept drawing him I realised his eyes themselves aren't actually that big (compared to bashir, who's got absolutely massive peepers). Him having them wide open all the time certainly adds to the illusion though. I also found that when he's not doing his whole customer service simple tailor schtick (or when characters aren't looking directly at him) he squints his eyes closed hehehehehe. So I tend to draw him either o_o or -_- and little in between.

And yeah s7 depression julian is really funny he really got the worst ending outta anybody. Bro has nothing. Ezri breaks up w him 2 months after ds9 ends. Trust me. Interlifetime post nut clarity hits different

[lostyesterday]

Star Trek shows tend to give an interestingly consistent narrative role to ensign characters (or characters who aren’t ensigns, but are otherwise notably the lowest ranked/youngest of the cast). The Ensign generally represents youth and innocence in both its positive and negative aspects – simultaneously representing the perfect model Starfleet officer and the dangers of overconfident inexperience. There will be stories where The Ensign’s youth and optimism are the emotional core of the crew that actively saves the day, and there will be stories where The Ensign’s inexperience result in disastrous consequences.

The characters that fit most into this category are Chekov in TOS, Wesley in TNG, Nog in later seasons of DS9, Harry in Voyager, Tilly in early seasons of Discovery, Adira in later seasons of Discovery, and Uhura in SNW. It’s a bit different in Lower Decks and Prodigy since almost all the major characters in those shows are equally low-ranked/inexperienced, but most of those characters do share plenty of similarities with the typical Ensign archetype.

An important thing to note, though, is that this archetype implies the beginning of a character arc – generally a coming-of-age style one where we see The Ensign gain experience and perspective, losing both the positives and the negatives of their youthful bright-eyed inexperience. Nog’s war trauma arc is one example of this. Wesley gets a more classic coming of age arc. Tilly, Adira, and Uhura all get arcs about learning to trust in their own abilities, finding their place in the world, etc. And generally speaking, if their shows aren’t cancelled prematurely, these characters do gain rank or get promoted to new positions. It’s sort of an obvious part of what this character arc entails. Every single one of the characters I just mentioned gains rank onscreen at least once. Even Chekov, who comes from TOS where nothing really changes episode to episode, gets to be shown over the course of the movies gaining rank and experience.

Which all makes Harry’s perpetual ensign status on Voyager even weirder. I’ve seen people defend the decision to never let Harry gain rank (or any other real promotion in responsibilities/duties) by referring to the Ensign archetype. Star Trek shows always have an Ensign, so supposedly Harry needed to keep being The Ensign forever. But this argument doesn’t make much sense when you consider what the typical Ensign arc entails for basically everyone except Harry. If Harry followed the typical Star Trek Ensign character arc, he would have gained rank and responsibilities over the course of the show. It would be very inaccurate to say that Harry has no character arc over the course of Voyager – we see him become more experienced and hardened by the events of the show. But despite all of this, he gets an episode like Nightingale in season 7. He is never allowed to grow beyond the original parameters of The Ensign archetype.

[marta-bee]

Original source here; I saw it via @liberalsarecol here. I went a bit off and didn't want to piggyback on their post. (What is the etiquette in these situations? I'm never quite sure.)

They said "Walking away from Trump is healthy." To which I can only respond it's not only healthy, it's damned heroic. Star Trek and US politics thoughts below the cut.

I've been thinking about Damar (from DS9)'s character arc in the final season, and how it to relates to the people swept up in Trumpism. Liz Cheney, Gov. Mike Milley, but also just run of the mill conservatives. They all went along with this cult that is MAGA because it worked for them at some level, because it claimed to give power and voice to something they actually believed in (conservative principles of independence and freedom, an economy that let them support their families, being told who they were was something to be proud of). Not the values that resonate most with me, but I can see someone believing them and acting based on it.

Then came something that should be the bridge too far. The thing they couldn't support. Maybe it affected them personally, maybe it was just extremism beyond what they could swallow. Most people caught up in this movement have a point like that, but not all are brave enough to turn aside. Even if it means admitting they were wrong. Even if that leaves them without a party that represents their view. Even if they have to set aside their own policy preferences and vote for a Democrat because there's more important things at stake.

Which, as I said reminds me of Damar. If you don't know the show, it's built around a war between the various species of the Alpha Quadrant and the Dominion, a fascist regime from the other side of the galaxy. The Cardassians are a militaristic, duty-to-the-state heavy species that makes an alliance with them as a way to get military strength and influence. It doesn't work out so well for them. As Damar, a Cardassian military leader turned rebel terrorist, says:

Seven million of our brave soldiers have given their lives to fulfill our part of the agreement, and what has the Dominion done in return? Nothing. We've gained no new territories. In fact, our influence throughout the quadrant has diminished. And to make matters worse, we are no longer masters in our own home. Travel anywhere on Cardassia and what do you find? Jem'Hadar, Vorta, and now Breen. Instead of the invaders, we have become the invaded. Our 'allies' have conquered us without firing a single shot. Well, no longer.

The thing about Damar is he's no flower child or unblemished angel of a character. I can't remember offhand if he was involved in the occupation of Bajor, but given his background it's hard to imagine he wasn't involved in the occupation of somewhere. He shot Ziyal. it's his personal humiliation more than some grand moral awakening that ultimately drives him to rebel. And probably billions died because of how he tried to pursue power and gave the Dominion an Alpha Quadrant foothold. But when it came down to it he said no more, he gave up his pride and the way he'd woven his pride and position and future in with the Dominion, and he changed course.

I mean, I never thought I'd be cheering on a Cheney either. What a world.

My point is, it's hard to take that leap -- much more challenging than being on the right side of things from the beginning. And while it doesn't wipe away getting it wrong to begin with and all you did because of that, the changing course is still pretty heroic in my book.

[cdr2002]

I gushed about the DS9 mirror universe in a previous post and how I feel the setting is more fluid than stories centered on the dominance of the Terran Empire, but I really do love the way it handles inverting and “mirroring” characters and concepts

“The names are the same, but the players are in different places” I think Prime Kira put it

The Federation and the mirror Cardassian Union are direct parallels. Both powers enjoy beneficial alliances with the Klingons and Bajor, and a severe dominance over Alpha Quadrant politics. The Alliance is on a larger scale essentially the mirror Federation of this era. Kira at the beginning of the series worried that the Federation would be just like the Cardassians. Oh the irony.

The TNG era is generally considered to be the Federation at its height, before the losses suffered at the hands of the Borg and the Dominion, at least. Meanwhile in the mirror universe, the Terrans, vulcans, and others are at their absolute lowest. They are in essentially the same position that the Bajorans were under the Cardassian occupation. And the Bajorans are, at least in part, among their oppressors.

Kira’s nemesis is Gul Dukat. The Intendant has Gul Dukat’s old job, and behaves similarly to him in many ways. Both Kiras are fundamentally the same person enough to understand each other, but in the ways that they differ are all traits that Intendant shares with Dukat. Kira is second in command of the station, under Sisko’s command. The Intendant commands the station, and Sisko works for her. The reversal of their egos is the most obvious, and the component Nana Visitor herself has commented on.

Prime Garak is an exile. Mirror Garak is still trapped in Cardassian military service, and seems miserable with it, much the way I imagine Prime Garak would have found himself eventually.

O’Brien has a loving family. Smiley has nothing. This very fact helps to inspire him to become a revolutionary. O’Brien knows what he lives for. Smiley has to find it.

Both Siskos “lost” Jennifer. One to the Borg, one or his own hubris.

Prime Bashir is a genius and a savant. Mirror Bashir is kind of a thug.

Prime Quark is arrogant and swaggering. Mirror Quark is timid and quiet, but also more outwardly kind. Too outwardly perhaps, considering he got caught, but we can’t fault him for doing the right thing.

Prime Worf was raised by humans. Regent Worf is all Klingon. If he knew the Rozhenkos, they were probably house servants or something. He was intentionally written to be like Gowron.

Similarly, Mirror Nog is very Quark-like.

The situation that the Rebellion finds itself in forces them to operate and conduct themselves VERY similarly to the Maquis, ironic considering how many of our Starfleet characters have mirror selves who are members of this Rebellion, and who in the prime universe, have opposed the Maquis. Sisko being the most prominent example. They even use more or less the same vehicles and weapons as the Maquis, and I think there are a few shared background actors between both groups, potentially the prime and mirror versions of the same peoples.

Similarly, Tuvok is a spy for Starfleet within the Maquis in the prime universe. He is genuinely 100% a rebel in the mirror universe. Both Tuvoks also have the same outfit in their wardrobe.

Prime Rom is relatively timid. Mirror Rom is fairly aggressive.

Ezri received the Dax symbiont in the prime universe. This never happened in the mirror universe, and the episode makes sure to emphasize this. She’s also tough, guarded, sassy, and aggressive where Prime Ezri is somewhat meek, fairly open, friendly, and usually cordial but does say what’s on her mind, bringing a similarity between her and her mirror counterpart. Mirror Ezri ultimately choosing to become a member of the rebellion could also be argued as a similarity.

Mirror Jadzia is unfortunately quite underdeveloped and boils down to mostly sleeping with people Prime Jadzia ordinarily doesn’t. But there is an interesting note to Mirror Jadzia seeming to be a more frivolous and carefree person (or at least fronting as such), while Prime Jadzia is a relatively more serious person, and while both engage in casual sex, Prime Jadzia is a lot more considered when it comes to starting long term relationships than her counterpart, who doesn’t see Bashir’s immaturity as an obstacle to his compatibility as a partner.

The mirror Klingons and Cardassians find success and dominance in aligning. In the prime universe they go to war, to their mutual detriment.

DS9 ends with the prime universe Cardassian Union brought low and made to suffer a form of ironic penance for their past sins at the hands of a greater fascist power than themselves, much like the fall of the Terran Empire. But where the Empire was conquered by the Alliance, Cardassia is brought back to its feet by the Federation.

I don’t know precisely how intentional any of this was but I found it fascinating.

Oh and Mirror Bariel has a personality.

[therealsullivan3000]

Currently watching Star Trek DS9 again and thinking about this line from the episode Fascination:

(Odo is briefing his Starfleet stand-in for the Festival.) ODO: I usually make it a point to drop by Quark's three or four times a day at random intervals, just to let him know that I'm thinking about him. But seeing today is a holiday, he'll be busier than usual. I suggest you station a man there full time. I think that about covers it. If you need me, I'll be on the Promenade.

Like um... I don't think it's normal to go to Quark's that often just to let him know you're thinking about him. Odo couldn't even be bothered to say, "Oh I go by to make sure everything is in order and to make sure nothing illegal is going on." He literally just says that he wants Quark to know that he's thinking about him?!?? Also why are you telling this to the poor random sap who has to do your job during the festival. What's he going to do, stroll into Quark's and say, "Btw Odo is thinking about you," at least 3 times a day? Do you want to just put a guy there to remind Quark every few minutes that Odo is thinking about him every second that they're apart???

Odo, buddy, denial is a river in Egypt. You want to kiss the stupid little career criminal Ferengi bartender so bad.

[thepetitepiper]

For anyone who think that Garak x Bashir in Lower Decks is "fan-service," "sickening," or "ruining Star Trek", have you been paying attention?

Note this is not for those who aren't a fan of the couple or never saw it in DS9. This is for those who are actively complaining or find it "problematic".

To the complaints about fan service, have you SEEN Lower Decks? Lower Decks is filled with Easter eggs and fan service, but not just to appease or cater to the fans. It is evident that the show is made with love and understanding of Star Trek. Sure, it has a different tone and style, but the adoration of all things Star Trek is palpable. The amount of references made to various forms of Star Trek media, even lesser-known or less popular versions, is extensive and weaved humorously yet beautifully through the show.

"Fissure Quest" is another excellent example with Jolene's return as T'Pol, Alfre Woodard as Lily Sloane, more Curzon Dax, another EMH with a mobile emitter, promoted Harry Kim (Garrett Wang), etc. Also note that some of these actors had negative or frustrating experiences with aspects of their Star Trek journey (due to a previous show-runner) and I have such an appreciation for Lower Decks giving them, hopefully, a positive experience (similar to Jerry Ryan getting another opportunity to play 7 of 9 in Picard without Kate).

As for the complaint of making a fan favorite ship canon for the shippers. Did you not watch DS9? The actors have specifically stated they were playing up the flirtations and chemistry between the characters. Andrew J. Robinson played Garrat's first meeting with Bashir as "he was sexually attracted to this good-looking young Starfleet doctor." This ship was not just fans "seeing somethign that wasn't there" is was 100% there and intentional from both of the actors. Even one of the writers admitted that the character or Garak specifically should have come out of the closet after the episode "The Wire" but never asked if they could (the assumption being that it would have been quickly shot down so they didn't try).

Rumor has it that the questionable relationships that both characters end up in were to distract from the obvious homoerotic subtext. Garak and Ziyal not only had little chemistry, the age gap was also rather wide and disconcerting for many fans along with Robinson himself. As for Bashir and Ezri, they were put together in the final season after Ezri's character was created to replace Jadzia. This relationship would never had happened if Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax) hadn't left the show after season 6. She wanted to reduce her role on the show but Rick Berman denied her request leading to her letting the contract expire.

If you think this is "ruining Star Trek" or is Star Trek becoming "woke," you don't know Star Trek? It featured the first interracial kiss on television. Gene Roddenberry wanted to include gay characters but couldn't in TOS because he feared the series would be cancelled. He intended for there to be representation in TNG but passed away. Berman took over and any form of LGBT representation became minimal or easily written off by those who would oppose it (non-binary but played by a woman, previously a heterosexual couple but now in female bodies, thematically queer episode, etc).

If you find it "sickening", I don't need to tell you why. You know why and so do we.

You don't have to like Star Trek: Lower Decks and its depiction of Garak x Bashir (from alternate universes, mind you). Not everyone likes the characters together and some prefer a friendship dynamic, there's nothing wrong with that. However, if you think that it is somehow catering to shippers or demonstrates how Star Trek has "become woke", you are simply wrong.

[planetlongjourney]

I find it incredibly funny when, in Star Trek, they change the look of a species, to make it stand out more, to generally make it look more alien because makeup and prosthetics are getting better or just because they decide the old one wasn’t good enough, but then pretend that nothing ever happened.

I’m not talking about the Klingons, as they actually do talk about their old designs (also their design change was fair enough) but I’m talking about the Trills, who randomly changed up their WHOLE look from that one tng episode, and it’s never mentioned. 😭

Like, are they different species or something??? Their newer design was literally taken from another species, so did they one from each race have a baby together and started a whole new race of people in the span of like, 5 years???

Also, the Bajorans. In tng, Ensign Ro has a weird nose/eyebrow ridge thing that makes her look like she’s really angry (honestly yeah go off) but that is taken away and never mentioned again.

Actually, pretty much every species from tng into ds9 had a design change, or a personality change, and eveyone is just kind of like “ah yes, the way things always were, nothing has ever changed”.

By the way, we don’t talk about discovery aliens here. That stuff was scary. 🫠

[s-sputnik-k]

why is this ds9 episode about a female ferengi who poses as a man so she can become quark's assistant and take 20% of his profit (but ends up falling in love with him but he still thinks she's a man and they end up in a 'only one bed' situation and quark is chill about it because he thinks they're bros but she's having a crisis) actually extremely relateable

I'm sure it has nothing to do with me being a gay trans man navigating new male friend groups while passing for the first time

[pom-seedss]

While sick I have also been extremely fixated on Taskmaster for some reason.

It has become my nightly ritual, I get to watch watch 2 episodes before bedtime then hop into bed with DS9 playing in the background.

My spouse, my lovely lovely Bean, *likes* Taskmaster, but we've only ever been able to watch a season at a time before needing like, a couple months break from it.

So far we have tanked Season 7 and then the first 5 seasons. Which, to be fair, the first three seasons are really short at 5 episodes each, so it's more like half a season these days :p

What does this have to do with anything? Nothing really. Just typing things to pass the time and hold up my long suffering spouse as the greatest.

He genuinely enjoys the show, but I know it also wears on him, but still every single night he suggests Taskmaster for something to watch.

I love him so much.

[sirfrancisvarney]

Years ago, Deep Space Nine had a crossover with the Trouble With Tribbles episode of Classic Trek that reused and repurposed footage from the original in order to make it appear as if the DS9 crew had gone back in time. There was a lot of promotional material about it, and I remember the original cast of Star Trek all expressing reservations and concerns about their likenesses being used in such a manner, and what it would mean for their careers. At the time, I didn't get it. To me, it was a cool idea for an episode, and the way technology was, what studios could do with old footage was pretty limited. They couldn't create new lines or entirely new scenes with the actors' likenesses, just re-contextualize what was already there. I thought the actors were worrying about nothing.

Reading about the studios' plan to pay background actors a pittance so they could scan their image and use it forever and never pay a real actor again has had me thinking about that a lot, and I feel bad that I didn't understand what the cast was saying back then. They saw a lot farther than I did.

[t0ast-ghost]

“Since the Cerritos is statistically the horniest and least romantically committed crew in Starfleet, we have no married officers aboard.”

- Lower Decks S4 EP6

First off if this is referring to just their current time period then yes I’d probably agree BUT since it’s a show and I think the creators were making a clever nod towards other shows I’d like to point out some things

This’ll get long. (Spoilers for TOS, TNG, DS9, & SNW)

TOS:

Both Spock and McCoy are divorced (McCoy twice over)

Whatever was going on between Spock and Chapel ???

Kirk is apparently too committed to the enterprise (yeah definitely the ship… nobod-nothing else) to commit to any of the women that he has definitely fucked

Kirk didn’t commit to Carol Marcus and she had his son

The Shore Leave episode

Theodore Sturgeon’s letter about the Shore Leave episode

Episodes with “Paradise” in their name

Must I bring up Amok Time?

Half the crew is just in love with the ship and all their relationships fail. The one time someone tries to get married their spouse dies

TNG:

Jean Luc is happy as is … Q however

Q is the horniest motherfucker for that frenchman and I’m counting him

Riker

Beverly with the ghost

Oh yeah Jean Luc literally kills two spouses (Crusher and Sisko) he’s actively uncommitting the romantics

The show’s SECOND EPISODE is where everyone gets super horny and fucks each other

Even the “emotionless” android gets some (I cannot blame Tasha one bit, Godspeed)

That’s all I remember from this show

DS9:

JADZIA DAX MY QUEEN

Julian Bashir’s original name was Dr. Amoros. He is doctor dick.

Lwuxana Troi wants Odo so bad but that goop ain’t committing

Whatever is going on between Odo and Quark

Need I mention Garak?

Mirror universe (Kira is about to kiss herself)

Almost every character is dating each other in this show and they made it canon for several but they all fall apart (Except Rom and Leela cause they’re perfect)

The O’Brien polycule… I drew it out but it got more complicated than the O’Briens (basically Julian is best friends with Miles who is married to Keiko. Keiko was on a shuttle while pregnant with Julian and Kira when there was a crash and Julian had to transfer the child from Keiko into either him or Kira, so Kira volunteered. She ends up living with the O’Brien’s while carrying the child and bonds with both of them (to the point both she and Miles think it’s weird). Kira eventually gets with Odo who is Quark’s nemesis and Quark is crushing on Jadzia who is exes with Julian who is (somewhat unknowingly) courting Garak. Jadzia Dax becomes married to Worf but I think her and Sisko have definitely fucked. Sisko is married to Kasidy and enemies with Gul Dukat who reciprocates that but is also fixated on Kira who hates him. Did I miss something?)

Now, I bet they did not count DS9 in their statistics because it’s a station not a ship but also because they’d always win this contest

SNW:

Spock and T’Pring

Spock and Chapel

Spock and Kirk

Other Kirk and La’an

Kirk and Carol ???

(All of them fail that’s why I bring it up)

Pelia has been married to another woman (not canon but it’s gotta have happened, right?)

Whatever was going on between Una and Neera in the court episode

There’s no way Uhura’s in a relationship (they might set her up with Scotty next season but I’d like to see her and Chapel)

The others do not seem romantically committed to other people

Pike’s weird dinner parties

To be honest Lower Decks is maybe the most outright vulgar in its language but most of the time it’s a feel good show about a bunch of best friends. Their captain is married, their CMO and head security officer are in a (happy?) relationship, and third thing here.

I haven’t seen any of Voyager or Enterprise and I don’t think Discovery is that horny/romantically uncommitted

[lostyesterday]

There’s an ethical question in Star Trek I’ve seen several people here talk about that I’ve thought about a lot. Basically, what are the ethics of having a romantic or sexual relationship with a non-sentient holographic version of a real person? This issue is brought up several times in canon, but never dealt with well, in my opinion. The main canon discussions of this topic that I remember (and it’s possible I forgot something) are in Booby Trap (TNG) where Geordi has a very brief romantic relationship with a holographic version of a real woman he’s never met, in Hollow Pursuits (TNG) where Barclay presumably has romantic/sexual relationships with extremely out of character holographic versions of Deanna and Beverly, in Meridian (DS9) where a guy wants Quark to sell him a holographic version of Kira to have sex with, and in Human Error (VOY) where Seven has a semi-long-term romantic and sexual relationship with a holographic version of Chakotay.

So, first of all, I don’t think that any of those instances mentioned are morally okay. Booby Trap is the most complicated case morally speaking since, to my memory, Geordi didn’t intentionally initiate anything romantic, though he didn’t stop it once it started either. I don’t want to imply that what Geordi did is morally as bad as the other examples I’m discussing, especially since Geordi is the only character of color being discussed here and his actions are not really equivalent in intention or impact to the other characters’. As an episode, Booby Trap doesn’t seem to have a clear idea of whether or not what Geordi is doing is unethical. In fact, it felt to me as if that question wasn’t something that occurred to the writers at all (until Galaxy’s Child, but that’s a whole other thing and the hologram portion of it is arguably the least messed up thing there, so I’m ignoring it in relation to this topic). Hollow Pursuits does portray what Barclay does negatively, but I feel like the episode is much more concerned with the negative emotional effects this has for Barclay rather than for Deanna and Beverly. Meridian, from what I remember, is the only episode to portray this situation as definitively bad, and Kira is portrayed as justified in being angry. However, the episode is a mess in other ways and does not explore the topic with nuance, making light of it with humor when I think it needed to be taken more seriously. Human Error is in some ways the most baffling case here because what Seven does is portrayed almost positively, as something that is a potentially good step in Seven’s “social development”. Apparently, there is no thought given to what Chakotay would think of the situation. I’ve seen people suggest that the narrative and fandom treatment of Seven versus the other characters is a gendered double standard, which I do think makes sense.

But the problem here isn’t having a sexual/romantic relationship with a hologram, the problem is that the person didn’t consent to having their holographic image used this way. There’s obviously nothing wrong with having sex or a relationship with a hologram not based on anyone’s image, or based on the image of someone who gave clear consent to have their image used in that way. But using someone’s image this way without their consent is pretty obviously analogous to making nonconsensual porn of someone. Do the ethics of this situation change if the hologram is of a historical figure? What about a famous person who is still alive? I don’t necessarily have answers here, but I do think the situation can become more complicated.

And then there’s another factor to consider – is the sexual/romantic relationship the biggest issue here? In the cases of Hollow Pursuits and Human Error, Barclay and Seven’s simulations of the crew are much more extensive than just the romantic/sexual portions. Would it have been all right for Barclay to create potentially offensive and demeaning holographic versions of his crewmates if there was no romantic/sexual component? Would it be okay for Seven to recreate a version of every Voyager crew member and live out an intricate alternate life with them without any of their consent if she never had romantic/sexual relationships with any of them? Is it any less a violation of someone’s rights to use their image without consent for, say, a propaganda campaign for an issue they disagree with, or a story that portrays their holographic version as a horrible person? That second scenario is the plot of the Voyager episode Author Author. This episode seems to take the moral stance that it’s bad for the Doctor to use the images of his fellow Voyager crew members to portray horrible characters, but there are other questions it doesn’t raise. Would it have been okay for the Doctor to use their images without consent if he had portrayed their holographic versions positively? What is the line between an acceptable and unacceptable usage of another person’s image without their consent? Is it ever okay to use a person’s holographic image without their consent? Is such consent implied when a person agrees to holographic scans of their body? What exactly is one consenting to when they consent to have a holographic version of themself created? I don’t necessarily have answers to these questions, I just wish any of these episodes had explored these issues with more nuance. And I do think that it’s important to consider extending the question of consent here beyond sex and romance.