Sure its a cliche, but has anyone ever totaled up the actual shirts killed on each Star Trek incarnation? The cumulative totals from all series even? Certainly this has been asked before, my apologies accordingly.
Starfleet casualties: Starfleet casualties | Memory Alpha | Fandom
memory alpha rules.
Kirk: Men, this is a dangerous mission we’ll be going on. Some of us may be hurt or even killed. The away party shall consist of myself, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Ensign Ricky.
Ensign Ricky: Oh, crap.
The Voyager stats are the most troublesome. Even accounting for picking up a few strays here and there, the frequent casualties never seemed to diminish the crew complement.
Of course, that one just one of the show’s many problems.
NESMITH: You’re not gonna die on the planet, Guy.
GUY: Oh yeah? Then what’s my last name?
NESMITH: Uh… I don’t know.
GUY: Nobody knows! Because my character isn’t important enough for a last name! Because I’m gonna die five minutes in!
GWEN: Guy, you have a last name!
GUY: DO I?! DO I?!
Red shirt death frenzy to a Queen sound track:
I can’t remember the comedian’s name, but he had a bit (this was from the mid-70s, I think):
Four people beam down to planet surface: Captain Kirk, Mr Spock, Doctor McCoy, and Ensign Leibowitz. Which one ain’t coming back?
I had this thought last night: On the Enterprise manifests, would Red Shirts be listed under crew or consumables?
Star Trek 2.0 keeps track of such things on the left hand side. In addition to red shirt casualties, there are things like “Spock says ‘Logical’”, “Landing party beams up/down”, etc. At the end of the series’ run you will have your answer.
Hah! What a wonderful movie.