# Most vile STAR TREK characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534 "2010-08-17T16:23:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/161 "2010-08-22T18:26:32Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Then there is Doctor Carol Marcus. > > Has Kirk’s son and never tells him about it or tells her son. Kirk says to her, “I did as you said. I stayed away” and she responds that she didn’t sant him chasing after his Father in starships doing dangerous things. When he sees him, Kirk immediately asks her, “Is that David?” I think Kirk knew he had fathered a child and his name. When David find out, I don’t knew. I presume from the reference to “that overgrown Boy Scout you used to hang out with” that he doesn’t at the beginning of the film. On the other hand that may be why he dislikes Kirk and Star Fleet so much. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/162 "2010-08-22T18:38:29Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I always thought Ferengi were Arabs. > > Anyway I nominate DATA. > > Crystalline Entity gets wacked by a woman with understandable motives. Wrong but what does DATA do. He pulls up her dead childs voice and condemns her with it. She is under arrest. He just twists the knife. Are you kidding? That is in no way’s Data’s fault (though it might be seen as his responsibility, in some small way). He did not possess sufficient emotional awareness to predict her reaction to this; moreover, SHE was the one who asked him what her son would have thought. Data, at this point, has not developed the ability to lie; I don’t think he could have answered otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/163 "2010-08-22T18:52:04Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > > [@Zebra](#): > > > > Then there is Doctor Carol Marcus. > > > > Has Kirk’s son and never tells him about it or tells her son. > > Kirk says to her, “I did as you said. I stayed away” and she responds that she didn’t sant him chasing after his Father in starships doing dangerous things. > > When he sees him, Kirk immediately asks her, “Is that David?” I think Kirk knew he had fathered a child and his name. > > When David find out, I don’t knew. I presume from the reference to “that overgrown Boy Scout you used to hang out with” that he doesn’t at the beginning of the film. > On the other hand that may be why he dislikes Kirk and Star Fleet so much. You’re right. He does know. I think David finds out after he tries to kill Kirk. Down in the Genesis Cave. Now I have to watch WoK again. Still doesn’t excuse the proto matter. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/164 "2010-08-22T18:53:54Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > > [@Zebra](#): > > > > I always thought Ferengi were Arabs. > > > > Anyway I nominate DATA. > > > > Crystalline Entity gets wacked by a woman with understandable motives. Wrong but what does DATA do. He pulls up her dead childs voice and condemns her with it. She is under arrest. He just twists the knife. > > Are you kidding? That is in no way’s Data’s fault (though it might be seen as his responsibility, in some small way). He did not possess sufficient emotional awareness to predict her reaction to this; moreover, SHE was the one who asked him what her son would have thought. Data, at this point, has not developed the ability to lie; I don’t think he could have answered otherwise. If DATA knows or not, it is one of the cruelest things in ST:NG. Lets face it. It’s the writers who are sick puppies. They are the cruel gods of the Star Trek Universe who decide if people are good or evil. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/165 "2010-08-22T19:02:38Z")
Although Data recites her son’s diary entries in her son’s voice (at her request), I don’t recall his using the voice at the end of the episode, merely telling her that (by all indications he is aware of), her son would be disappointed by her actions. I suppose that’s bad enough, but it’s hardy the first (nor the last) time the TNG writers got preachy and heavy-handed. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/166 "2010-08-22T23:05:15Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > > [@Zebra](#): > > > > I always thought Ferengi. > > The word “Ferengi” is related to Franj, Firang, Phiringi, and other related words in several languages that variously mean Europeans, Americans, or white people in general. It probably comes from “Frank”. The French were the dominant Western power in the region from the Crusades onward. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/167 "2010-08-22T23:48:56Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The French were the dominant Western power in the region from the Crusades onward. King Richard was what, chopped liver? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/168 "2010-08-23T00:00:59Z")
Compared to the French, yes, the English were chopped liver. And the word is, like **Alessan** said, derived from the Arabic word for “Frank”. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/169 "2010-08-23T00:04:00Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Compared to the French, yes, the English were chopped liver. And the word is, like **Alessan** said, derived from the Arabic word for “Frank”. Humor…it is a difficult concept. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/170 "2010-08-23T02:17:36Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > > [@Alessan](#): > > > > The French were the dominant Western power in the region from the Crusades onward. > > King Richard was what, chopped liver? > 🙂 > [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > Compared to the French, yes, the English were chopped liver. And the word is, like **Alessan** said, derived from the Arabic word for “Frank”. If we’re talking about Richard the Lion Heart, he was French. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/171 "2010-08-23T02:26:58Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Jack the Ripper from the TOS was pretty vile. Especially since he stole Winnie the Pooh’s voice to terrorize women. [Nitpick] It was Piglet’s voice[/Nitpick] ---
**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:** [August 23, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/172 "2010-08-23T02:56:05Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Anyway I nominate DATA. > > Crystalline Entity gets wacked by a woman with understandable motives. Wrong but what does DATA do. He pulls up her dead childs voice and condemns her with it. She is under arrest. He just twists the knife. Are you sure? That’s not how I remember it. As I recall, earlier in the episode, Data reads out the son’s diary in the son’s voice. After the mother blows up the CE, she says that she wants to hear her son tell her she did the right thing. But Data, in his own voice, says that based on his knowledge of the son, data doesn’t think the son would have approved. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/173 "2010-08-23T03:17:34Z")
I understand Ahab’s leg made its disapproval known, too. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534/174 "2010-08-23T04:05:55Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > … there were Liquidator Brunt (played by Jeffrey Combs, and appeared in one more episode than Zek), and Ishka (played first by Andrea Martin, later by Cecily Adams). I have no idea if any of those other actors are Jewish, however. … Just for the fun of it … Andrea Martin not Jewish but has been chosen to [play the part](http://www.playbill.com/news/article/91134-DIVA-TALK-Chatting-with-Fiddlers-Andrea-Martin-Plus-News-of-Greene-LaMott-and-Orfeh). Cecily Adams was the daughter of Don Adams who was of Jewish descent. Jeffrey Combs I can’t find anything about regarding religious heritage. I always thought the thinking the Ferengi were a Jewish stereotype was a bit of hypersensitivity … you might as well think Mr. Crab from SpongeBob is supposed to be Jewish too! But still, it is kind of funny that the only one who played a Ferengi that we _know_ is not Jewish has was pegged to play the mother in Fiddler and the mother of the Ferengi. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-vile-star-trek-characters/550534.md?page=8)