# Best single-episode Star Trek characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, star-trek-paramount\ **Created:** [September 19, 2022, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793 "2022-09-19T03:45:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2022, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/41 "2022-09-20T04:57:52Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > The shape-shifting alien was Isis. Yes, and she was **not** played by a Playboy Playmate. That myth was put to bed long ago. > **[April Tatro](https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/April_Tatro)** > > April Tatro (born 12 April 1942; age 81) is a former contortionist and actress who appeared in the role of Isis in her Human form in the Star Trek: The Original Series second season episode "Assignment: Earth". She received no credit for this... ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2022, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/42 "2022-09-20T10:41:23Z")
@beowulff: Quite right. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2022, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/43 "2022-09-20T14:44:21Z")
NOTE: The videos below contain major spoilers for those episodes. Bruce McGill as Captain Braxton in the Star Trek Voyager episode: “Relativity” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/72PFhxMQkjg/hqdefault.jpg "Star Trek Voyager, Relativity. 2 of 4. Crazy saboteur stopped by Janeway and Seven.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72PFhxMQkjg) (I think the character was also in a different episode momentarily and played by a different actor) Also from Star Trek Voyager I would nominate Kurtwood Smith as Annorax in the episode “Year of Hell” (it was a two parter but I’ll count it as one episode): [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ot9knd8mMRQ/hqdefault.jpg "Star Trek Voyager - The End of The Year of Hell") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot9knd8mMRQ) ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2022, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/44 "2022-09-20T14:57:15Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Also the time traveler Berlinghoff Rasmussen played by Matt Frewer in the TNG episode “A Matter of Time” This was the first one to come to my mind as well. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/45 "2022-09-20T16:54:11Z")
No love for **Lazarus**? [![](http://www.paponasestrelas.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/lazarus-vs-anti-lazarus-fator-alternativo-alternative-factor.jpg) ](http://www.paponasestrelas.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/lazarus-vs-anti-lazarus-fator-alternativo-alternative-factor.jpg) **A** or **B** , take your pick! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/46 "2022-09-20T17:30:43Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > No love for **Lazarus**? You know, Spock’s Brain and Brain gets a lot of talk of being the worst episode, but The Alternative Factor is truly the worst episode. So, no! And he has a stupid name, too! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2022, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/47 "2022-09-20T17:34:38Z")
I sense … hostility. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2022, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/48 "2022-09-20T17:55:36Z")
😁 [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71sZTwmsKCL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71sZTwmsKCL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/49 "2022-09-20T20:39:11Z")
I nominate Captain Angel from the _Strange New Worlds_ episode “The Serene Squall”. I don’t want to put a video up and risk a spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/50 "2022-09-21T00:18:36Z")
_Lord_ Garth. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/51 "2022-09-21T00:31:24Z")
Cyrano Jones from “The Trouble With Tribbles.” No, “Trials and Tribble-ations” doesn’t count! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/52 "2022-09-21T01:04:45Z")
I recently re-watched that episode and was struck by how _old-fashioned_ the acting style seemed—very theatrical and actory. Not just Cyrano but the other characters as well. Even that exact script remade today would be done in a much more natural style. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/53 "2022-09-21T01:16:49Z")
How about some Klingons from _TNG?_ Captain Kargan and _especially_ Lieutenant Klag from “A Matter of Honor”. That LAUGH! Klag was memorable enough he became the lead of his own novel miniseries. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rFX6l8FOQXQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Riker serving on a Klingon ship") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFX6l8FOQXQ) Captain Korris from “Heart of Glory”, the first of _many_ Klingons that Worf thought he’d found common cause with and was disillusioned by. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/R_UfqLvRqXk/hqdefault.jpg "Worf Battle On Inside") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_UfqLvRqXk) ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/54 "2022-09-21T02:24:21Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > Captain Korris from “Heart of Glory”, the first of _many_ Klingons that Worf thought he’d found common cause with and was disillusioned by. I remember someone pointing out that Worf was raised on Earth by humans and has a very idealized view of Klingon culture which leads to him often being disappointed when he is around actual Klingons when they don’t take the notions of honor as seriously as he does. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/55 "2022-09-21T17:42:09Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > No, “Trials and Tribble-ations” doesn’t count! But More Tribbles, More Troubles does. Checkmate. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/56 "2022-09-22T23:18:45Z")
How could I have forgotten about Senator Vreenak from DS9: “In the Pale Moonlight”? IT’S A FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5OPCpdOnvLs/hqdefault.jpg "DS9 - Stephen McHattie as Senator Vreenak") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OPCpdOnvLs) Or Rurigan and Taya from DS9: “Shadowplay”? [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU9VH7Vts6s) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/57 "2022-09-22T23:49:27Z")
Everyone knew the episode was supposed to be comedic, so they took the opportunity to ham it up a little. They were encouraged to do so by the writer (David Gerrold) and producer (Gene Coon). The scene between Jones and the Trader was essentially a vaudeville sketch between a con man and his mark, and the director (Joe Pevney) staged it that way. I don’t know how or why it would be filmed differently today. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/58 "2022-09-23T00:07:54Z")
I’m thinking of the exchanges with the bartender. Imagining how, for example, that scene would be played by Quark and a guest patron on DS9, it might have a similar tone, but the _acting styles_ would be very very different. Cyrano Jones was still heavily influenced by stage acting. Even in a farcical scene today, you won’t see that acting style. Again to emphasize I’m not talking about overall tone. I’m talking about style—facial expressions, body language, vocal details. TV actors don’t perform like that these days. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/59 "2022-09-23T00:54:04Z")
Mirror Spock. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793/60 "2022-09-23T20:17:42Z")
Great shout. One of the very best episodes of any Trek. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-episode-star-trek-characters/971793.md?page=2)