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Colm Meaney, who played Miles O’Brien on both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, was honored on February 14 with the Irish Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to him by the Irish Film & Television Academy. Among those paying tribute to the actor was his longtime friend and Star Trek co-star and director, Jonathan Frakes.

During his time on Star Trek, especially during his DS9 era with the franchise, Meaney took time off to appear in a wide range of features in America and abroad. His seemingly endless list of credits, which saw him portray good guys and bad guys, and tackle both supporting roles and leads, includes The Dead, Die Hard 2, The Commitments, Under Siege, The Last of the Mohicans, Con Air, The Van, Hell on Wheels (in which he co-starred with future Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' lead Anson Mount), Tolkien, Gangs of London,...

Starting in 2017 with Star Trek: Discovery, fans were ushered into the 'Nu Trek' era of Star Trek. It's an era that started with the aforementioned Discovery series and has gone through Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The era is far from done, but those are the key series that have made up this new era.

During the Nu Trek Era, one of the things that have become commonplace is the reliance (or overreliance) on past characters and actors from previous shows. Every show has either over-relied on previous characters or previous talents to bolster their show. It started with Spock and later Christopher Pike and Una Chin-Riley in Discovery (among others). Lately, we've seen the likes of Chakotay and Harry Kim pop up in Star Trek: Prodigy and Star Trek: Lower Decks' respectively.

In fact, we've seen a large...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine did many things differently from its predecessors. For starters, it had a Black Captain of a ship in the front and center. As opposed to the exploratory nature of the other Star Trek shows, DS9 was centered on the eponymous space station where other beings collided with them, instead of the other way around.

However, one of the key changes it made was the depiction of the Ferengis, especially with the character of Nog. The antagonists-turned-comic reliefs of The Next Generation saw a comeuppance in the spinoff series and Nog became the first Ferengi to join the Starfleet.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine redeemed the Ferengi through Nog A still from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Credits: Paramount

The Ferengi were a new alien species created for Star Trek: The Next Generation as creator Gene Roddenberry hoped to move on from Vulcans after the original series.

When we talk about the greatest captain in Star Trek history, we don't often mention Kathryn Janeway. It's a shame because she should be in the conversation. The two names that get mentioned the most, and maybe rightfully so (or not rightfully so depending on your point of view) are Jean-Luc Picard and James T. Kirk.

Played first and most famously by Patrick Stewart and William Shatner respectively, Picard and Kirk have long been the franchise's standard bearers. As the first two series captains, they often are pitted against one another in debates, with many being split on who really is the best captain of the franchise.

While both men, and even others like Benjamin Sisko and Christopher Pike have a claim to the proverbial throne, Janeway has arguably the strongest argument for being the top captain.

Unlike every other captain (or eventual admiral) in Star Trek's long canon of television leaders,...

“Bring Them Down” was released on February 7, 2025, categorized as a Revenge, Thriller, and Suspense film, and streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

When Your Way of Life is Threatened, Do You Leave?

“Bring Them Down” is tense, dark, and violent. Two shepherding families live in rural west Ireland, a lush and beautiful but remote countryside. It could be idyllic if they weren’t at war with each other! Oh my! Didn’t they read the story in the Bible about Abraham and Lot? How there was a quarrel among the two sets of herdsmen and Abraham settled the matter peacefully between them. Oy vey!

On a scale of one to ten:

One being “We can work it out.” Ten being “If you touch my rams, it’ll be the last time you ever use your hands!”

Instead of choosing a path to peace, farmers Michael (played by Christopher Abbott...

My love of Star Trek: Voyager should be well-known if you're a fan of our site. Every 11 Pm Et I turn on Heroes and Icons to watch Voyager. I usually hang around for Enterprise as well. I rewatch my favorite episodes almost yearly either on Paramount+ or by any means necessary. I adore this show. I defend this show. I just can't always give the show the same types of praise that others give it.

Sometimes, we gotta be more critical. Voyager, like all Star Trek, is great, but it has its flaws. Some episodes are all-time worst material, while other episodes fail to live up to the lofty bar that the franchise demands of it. Yet, sometimes, being critical just means pointing out the obvious.

In a recent write-up from another website, there was a bold claim made. It was that Voyager was the first show to have a...

Star Trek: Lower Decks does something few entries in the Star Trek lore have ever done; shone the light on the less dignified positions of a spaceship. Running a spaceship is like a town of sorts. You need everyone from the mayor to a janitor to ensure the city runs right. A Federation starship is much the same.

All sorts of positions exist, from the dignified captain to the helmsmen all the way down to ship officers who clean for the most part. Lower Decks looked at some of those positions that did the work you don't normally see in a Star Trek series. It was a solid concept that found a small fanbase, but it wasn't the common story type that Star Trek dived into.

In fact, really only the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Lower Decks" looked into the concept. Serving as the namesake for the later series,...

Colm Meaney became known to the Star Trek community as Chief Miles O'Brien, first serving aboard the Enterprise on Star Trek: The Next Generation before his character moved to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Meaney played the character from 1987-1999, appearing in 225 episodes. Since then, the Irish-born actor has gone on to appear in popular series like Hell on Wheels alongside another Star Trek actor, Anson Mount, who is now playing Captain Christopher Pike on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

The prolific actor has maintained a busy schedule since his time on Star Trek came to an end, and now, he's being honored for his fifty-year career by being awarded the Irish Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award. Dame Judi Dench and Gabriel Byrne have been two of the other recipients of the award, and Meaney was quite surprised when he was announced as 2025's recipient.

In a report by Irish Star,...

Star Trek's best engineer was Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine proved that. Originally a recurring character on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Miles O'Brien served in the Cardassian War before being assigned to the USS Enterprise. O'Brien moved from helmsman to the Enterprise's transporter chief, giving him hands-on knowledge of Starfleet's flagship. Chief O'Brien had experience with sophisticated Federation engineering and a working knowledge of Cardassian technology, making O'Brien the perfect choice to head up the Starfleet engineers on the former Cardassian station Deep Space Nine.

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 15, "Honor Among Thieves", Deep Space Nine's crew are dealing with far more technical malfunctions than usual. Dr. Julian Bashir's (Alexander Siddig) infirmary technology, the fire suppression system at Quark's (Armin Shimerman) Bar, and Constable Odo's (Rene Auberjonois) security sensors are all unexpectedly glitching. Even the turbolift in Ops is being a jerk.

"Star Trek" is full of incredible odd couple friendships, starting with the hot-tempered human Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and stoic half-Vulcan Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Kirk and Spock were a terrific pair because of how much they balanced one another and learned from each other, showing the deep bonds that can develop between very different people. Spock is even the one who helps Kirk begin to understand his racism against the Klingons in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," showing that even after decades together the two still have things to teach each other. Their friendship is a truly beautiful thing, but there is one notable factor: they are both in Starfleet, and from Federation planets. They may be very different, but they are never truly adversarial.

Then there's Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) and Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson) of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." The two are...

Colm Meaney, the Irish actor perhaps best known for playing Miles O’Brien across all seven seasons of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” but with a wealth of other major film and TV credits to his name, is set to be honored with the Irish Academy Award for lifetime achievement.

Presented at the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) awards on Feb. 14, the honor will celebrate a career spanning five decades that has seen Meaney work with some of the world’s most renowned filmmakers and actors.

“To say I was surprised when I got the news that IFTA wanted to give me this award, would be an understatement. I was truly shocked,” said Meaney. “To be asked to join this long list of very illustrious previous recipients is a huge honour, and I’m thrilled and looking forward to a good night in Dublin.”

Film credits on Meaney’s resume include...

Both during and after its seven-season run, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has been set apart from the rest of the Star Trek franchise. Whereas other Star Trek shows have had great crossovers and reference each other constantly, Deep Space Nine has, for the most part, stood alone. With its more mature themes, political intrigues, seasons-long arcs, and space station settting, Deep Space Nine was always going to be different from more episodic and adventuresome shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation or Star Trek: Voyager.

It's hardly surprising Deep Space Nine is something of an outcast from Star Trek. Despite this distance, however, Deep Space Nine has always been a fan favorite, with some of the best episodes in all of Star Trek. Indeed, some of the same darker themes and more dramatic storylines that make Deep Space Nine so great have also set it apart from the rest of the franchise.

Rosalind Chao had a recurring role on Star Trek: The Next Generation as Keiko O'Brien, the wife of Chief Miles O'Brien [Colm Meaney]. When Meaney moved to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, so did Chao. She actually appeared in more episodes on Deep Space Nine than she did in The Next Generation, but that didn't give her much more to do.

Her character was a minor one, and there were no standout stories for her, with the exception of Deep Space Nine's "The Assignment" when Keiko was possessed by a Pah-wraith who then tried to convince O'Brien to attack the Prophets. But had she gotten the role she was the actual favorite for, things might have turned out quite differently for her.

According to an April 13, 1987 memo to John Pike from John Ferraro provided by Letters of Note, regarding the casting of Star Trek: The Next Generation characters, Chao...

Twenty-four years before Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had a lower decks episode of its own. Technically, Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 15 was the first "Lower Decks" episode that broke away from the classic cast of bridge crew and chief officers to focus instead on a few junior officers on USS Enterprise-d. That popular reversal inspired Star Trek: Lower Decks and its cast of low-ranked officers.

Part of what has makes Star Trek: Lower Decks so popular across its five-season run is the loving attention it pays to all the Star Trek that's come before. Star Trek: Lower Decks brings back characters whose shows ended years ago and references popular fan theories in almost every episode. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in particular, has been referenced several times on Lower Decks. Years before Lieutenants Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Deep Space Nine...

Section 31 is one of the most mysterious and long-lasting ideas that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine added to Star Trek canon. This network of spies and secret agents does the United Federation of Planets' dirty work, pruning away any threats to the perfect paradise of Earth. The upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie promises to fill in details about the early history of Section 31, between Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation, but audiences first encountered Section 31 on Deep Space Nine from the perspective of Doctor Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig).

The second episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine established Doctor Bashir loves mysteries and spying. He trades barbs and innuendos with Elim Garak (Andrew J. Robinson), plays a James-Bond-esque spy on the holosuite, and is even initially accused of being a Dominion spy during Section 31's first appearance. Doctor Bashir was poised to be a secret agent,...

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Defiant #21!

After 26 years, Star Trek has finally settled a Deep Space Nine debate. Worf joined Deep Space Nine’s cast in the show’s fourth season, and was reunited with his former Enterprise colleague Miles O’Brien. Later in Worf’s tenure, during the height of the Dominion War, he and O’Brien made a puzzling bet, especially considering O’Brien’s heritage. Now, years later, the matter has been settled, as seen in Star Trek: Defiant #21.

Star Trek: Defiant #21, written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta, is the final part of the “Stars of Home” storyline, which saw Worf and his crew turn back an entire Romulan invasion. They had a little help from O’Brien and another Deep Space Nine stalwart: Julian Bashir. After the dust settles, Worf presents O’Brien with a bottle of scotch, referencing a bet they made years prior.

In Star Trek, both Section 31 and Starfleet Intelligence are intelligence agencies linked to Starfleet, but they have different histories within the Star Trek timeline, and serve different narrative purposes. Before the formation of Star Trek's United Federation of Planets, Starfleet existed as an Earth-based paramilitary organization with the primary function of exploration. As humans became major players in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, Starfleet's secondary mission of preserving peace became much more relevant, especially after Star Trek: Enterprise's Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) made contact with hostile species like the Klingons and Xindi.

In Star Trek, Starfleet and the Federation aren't the same thing. The Federation is the governing body that unites allied member worlds, and Starfleet is technically Earth's exploratory and peacekeeping organization, which expanded its reach to serve the entire Federation. To protect the Federation's members and borders, Starfleet must gather information about enemies of the Federation.

Star Trek's Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) was the perfect character to move from Star Trek: The Next Generation to its first spin-off show, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. O'Brien started on Star Trek: The Next Generation as a nameless helmsman in Tng's pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint". After gaining a name and becoming the USS Enterprise-d's transporter chief, O'Brien's wedding to civilian botanist Keiko Ishikawa (Rosalind Chao) was a major part of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4, episode 12, "Data's Day". On Tng, O'Brien became a recurring, relatable family man with a strong work ethic.

Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4, episode 12, "The Wounded", introduced a new alien enemy to the Star Trek mythos: the Cardassians. In "The Wounded", the Federation-Cardassian War is retconned into the Star Trek timeline, with peace between the two powers being a relatively new development. That peace was tenuous at best throughout the...

Beam us up and away from spoilers. This article discusses major plot developments from the latest episode of "Star Trek: Lower Decks."

"Lower Decks" has been getting a whole lot of mileage out of alternate universe antics during its fifth and final season, starting with the premiere episode that threw our Cerritos crewmembers alongside their mirror selves and kickstarted Ensign Boimler's (Jack Quaid) obsession with growing out that fugly-looking facial hair. That pattern continues in episode 7, titled "Fully Dilated." The action kicks off when Boimler and Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) clumsily drop their obnoxious martinis all over the delicate transporter controls, dooming the away team to months (if not years) on the surface of a nearby planet currently undergoing severe time dilation. While Ensigns Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Tendi (Noël Wells), and T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) are trapped indefinitely, they continue to investigate the reason they embarked on the mission in the first place: a purple-colored,...

For some reason, Miles O'Brien is constantly getting the most traumatic stories thrust upon him. He's been forced to live a lifetime in a matter of hours, has been hunted across a space station by his friend, was infected by a bioweapon, kidnapped, tortured, forced to watch a duplicate of himself die, possessed, framed for a crime he didn't commit, lost his daughter to a time anomaly, while himself was thrust through time and died, but came back.

The man's been through enough. It's ok to write a story where he and his wife are living a quiet life in nature with a bunch of small dogs, as they debate if they should go into town that night for dinner or stay home and cuddle by the fire.

We don't need to keep giving this man trauma. Yet, some among us still want to torment this man.

Despite not being...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine never jumped to feature films, but a movie crossing over DS9 and Star Trek: The Next Generation could have jumpstarted the Star Trek film franchise after Star Trek: Insurrection. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine aired for 7 seasons in syndication from 1993-1999. DS9 didn't achieve the popularity of Star Trek: The Next Generation, while Star Trek: Voyager was considered as Tng's heir apparent by Paramount. After Tng, no other Star Trek TV series leaped to movie theaters. A DS9 and Tng crossover was a missed opportunity.

1996's Star Trek: First Contact was the apex of the Star Trek: The Next Generation movies. Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) big-screen battle with the Borg grossed over $92 million and was a smash with audiences. 1998's follow-up, Star Trek: Insurrection, was a downturn, earning only $70 million and disappointing fans. It would be four more years until the final Tng movie,...

Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) served as the Chief Medical Officer on the USS Enterprise-d in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but how did she earn the nickname of "the dancing doctor?" As Tng's doctor, Crusher not only treated the various ailments of the Enterprise crew, but she also used her scientific knowledge to get the Enterprise out of several dire situations. Dr. Crusher lived aboard the Enterprise with her child prodigy son, Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton).

Dr. Crusher also had a history with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and although the two clearly had feelings for one another, they never truly explored their romance onscreen. Like Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Beverly did not get as much character development as her male counterparts in the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Crusher was the doctor and a mother figure aboard the Enterprise, and only occasionally moved beyond those roles.

Star Trek has a history of making people suffer. In fact, if you look through series, up until Star Trek: Discovery and the Nu Era of Trek, you'll see that one character often gets it the most. Just about every series comes for one character more than any other, and in doing so, comes up with just the most twisted concoctions you can put someone through.

We're talking about the type of stuff that makes you feel existential dread just watching the episode play out. The kind of stuff that makes you just wonder how anyone can live with themselves after that type of thing happens. The moments that are so profoundly messed up, that it seems impossible to recover from.

So today, we're looking at just three of the most traumatic stories that Star Trek ever told, starting with the inspiration for the list.

Deadlock (Voyager) - This episode lives rent-free in my head.

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" will be sorely missed when it concludes for good at the end of its fifth season, as the adult animated series has managed to find the perfect balance between its crass humor and being a genuinely good "Star Trek" show. It's managed to be successful in large part because it's made by total "Star Trek" nerds, from super-nerdy (in a good way) creator Mike McMahan to star Tawny Newsome, who plays the rebellious lower decker Beckett Mariner and is a massive "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" superfan. Between them and the incredible writers and animators, they've made "Lower Decks" a beautiful tribute to everything there is to love about "Star Trek," and that includes lots of silly little deep cuts and Easter eggs.

One of the many fun things about watching "Lower Decks" is catching these references and feeling like you're in on the joke, but...

Star Trek's first female showrunner, screenwriter and producer Jeri Taylor made many significant contributions to the franchise, including writing classic episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager. Taylor's Star Trek career began in 1990 when she joined the writing staff of Tng during the show's fourth season. Taylor penned several notable Tng episodes before becoming co-executive producer for the show's final season, alongside Rick Berman and Michael Piller. Jeri Taylor passed away on October 23, 2024, at the age of 86.

In her most significant contribution to Star Trek, Jeri Taylor helped develop Star Trek: Voyager and served as an executive producer and showrunner. The first Star Trek show to center on a female starship captain, Voyager followed the adventures of Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) as she led the USS Voyager and its crew through the unexplored Delta Quadrant. Jeri Taylor had a...

When we think of horror, especially horror within Star Trek, our minds usually go to the more common things. Thoughts of spooky things, terrifying stories, and often unsightly scenes are what most people truly imagine. Especially during Halloween. Yet, you don't need to have a horror story to engage in something that haunts your dreams.

Star Trek has developed a long list of episodes that, while not horror, will stay with you and disturb you well past the credits. The types of episodes that really cement what it means to feel something. Far beyond the normal range of emotions.

We're talking about the episodes that change you, almost intrinsically. Giving you some sort of burden or grief to carry, because what you felt was very real even if what you just watched was very fake. So these are three episodes that, while not horror in nature, will linger on your soul long past the end.

On Facebook, longtime "Star Trek" production designers Mike and Denise Okuda announced the passing of Jeri Taylor. She was 88.

Jeri Taylor was one of the key producers and writers throughout the 1990s "Star Trek" heyday, having joined the staff of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in its fourth season. Trekkies will tell you that "Next Generation," having already hit its stride, broke into a sprint in its fourth season, producing multiple capital-g great episodes at that time. Taylor's impeccable writing contributions to "Next Generation" were so widely recognized that she was promoted to the role of co-executive producer of the series in its sixth season, overseeing most of the production alongside head honchos Rick Berman and Michael Piller. In the show's seventh season, Taylor became the full-bore showrunner.

Taylor wrote multiple scripts for "Next Generation" and is credited for co-creating the Cardassians, a fascistic species that would go on to...

Most of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's major characters are still waiting to make their Star Trek comeback. Star Trek on Paramount+ series like Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Prodigy have brought back numerous characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager. However, only a handful of DS9 characters - Colonel Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor), Quark (Armin Shimerman), Grand Nagus Rom (Max Grodenchik), and First Minister Leeta (Chase Masterson) - have returned on Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine reuniting in live-action is difficult since a few of the actors have passed away. However, animated Star Trek makes the impossible possible. For example, Odo returned on Star Trek: Prodigy as a hologram. Despite Rene Auberjonois' death, archival footage was used to bring the heroic Changeling back to life. Unfortunately, with Star Trek: Lower Decks ending on Paramount+ and...

We here at /Film consider Daniel Craig to be the greatest James Bond of all. But when he was first cast in "Casino Royale," there was an uproar of complaints from people who thought they knew better than the filmmakers.

Granted, Craig is the one who looks the least like the other Bonds. They all shared the tall, dark, and handsome look of Sean Connery's original, truer-than-even-Ian-Fleming James Bond. Craig has the third feature, but he's of average height and blond. He was also cast over a young Henry Cavill, who doesn't have Craig's acting chops but definitely looks more like the typical James Bond. So, why Craig? "Casino Royale" director Martin Campbell was impressed by his lead performance and "terrific charm" in 2004 crime thriller "Layer Cake."

In that film, Craig plays an unnamed cocaine dealer (Xxxx); the title "Layer Cake" refers to the rungs of London's criminal underworld,...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine turns a beloved Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation into a horror story. Rather than discounting the optimism of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pushes Star Trek's optimistic future into a darker corner. Nowhere is that more clear than in the way that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine puts Tng's first transfer to DS9, Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney), in increasingly more horrific situations, with writers even coining the maxim "O'Brien must suffer."

Chief MIles O'Brien certainly suffers in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 4, episode 19, "Hard Time", when the Argrathi wrongly sentence Miles to 20 years in prison on unfounded espionage charges. O'Brien's entire 20-year sentence is carried out in just hours through implanted memories that reflect the choices Miles would have actually made in prison including killing his cellmate, Eechar (Craig Wasson...

Star Trek has had many great stories that cover the emotional spectrum. Episodes that covered fear, hurt, pain, post-traumatic stress, and more have been hallmarks of Star Trek for decades. They've had bitter feuds like that between Khan Noonien Singh and James Kirk, epic friendships like between Jean-Luc Picard and Will Riker, and even great teacher-student dynamics like with Kathryn Janeway and Seven of Nine.

What they haven't had, not truly, is an epic romance. Yes, we've had good romances before. Cassidy and Benjamin Sisko, Tom Paris and B'Elanna, and of course Riker and Deanna Troi. Yet, a truly epic love story? We haven't had that yet.

We've had some truly awful ones. Really anything involving Kes and Neelix comes to mind. Of course, we have The Doctor, Julian Bashir, and Harry Kim's constant swings and misses. We even have whatever that was between Beverly Crusher and that ghost.

Several Star Trek aliens made their debut on Star Trek: The Next Generation before playing more significant roles on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and a couple were even portrayed by the same actors. Tng set the stage for a new golden era of Star Trek, influencing almost everything that came after. Some of Star Trek's most famous aliens - like the Vulcans, Klingons, and Romulans - were introduced on Star Trek: The Original Series, but others did not appear until Tng. Several actors have portrayed multiple roles in the Star Trek franchise, and some have even played different characters within the same alien species.

Star Trek: The Next Generation took a season or two to find its footing as it worked to figure out what kind of show it was going to be. Even as Tng progressed, there were many elements it was still figuring out, including the...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Captain Benjamin Sisko low-key pulled off a Starship Enterprise feat no other Star Trek Captain accomplished. For seven seasons, Sisko was the commander of Deep Space Nine, the most strategically important space station in the Alpha Quadrant. Deep Space Nine was the guardian of the Bajoran wormhole, the gateway to the Gamma Quadrant, and Captain Sisko became one of Starfleet's most important leaders during the Dominion War.

As a spinoff of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine created its own iconography without the benefit of Star Trek's most famous starship. the USS Enterprise. DS9 was the first Star Trek project not reliant upon the Enterprise. Captain Sisko not only oversaw his own space station but, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, Ben finally got his own starship when the USS Defiant became Sisko's warship to battle the Dominion and other enemies.

Star Trek: The Next Generation has a long and established legacy among Trek fans. The show debuted in the 1980s and despite being nearly a 40-year old show, the series holds up strong after all these years. So much so that many fans still point to the show as a landmark series, and the best that Star Trek has to offer.

That means if the show is the best ever in franchise history, then its cast is the best ever too, right? Maybe, maybe now, it all depends on how you want to view the series and the cast. That said, it's a landmark series and one whose importance can't really be denied. The impact the show and cast had on pop culture is pretty well known at this point.

Yet, which Star Trek: The Next Generation on-screen talent had the most appearances? Let's find out but before we do,...

Star Trek fans are some of the best in the world. They represent the best aspects of the franchise, keeping alive fandoms that are anywhere from two years to 60 years old, depending on the show or film. They are a marvelous bunch who do a great job making the men and women who play these characters feel larger than life.

One of the ways they do that is by immortalizing them. So far two of these individuals have been given the honor of having their likeness used in statues. The first was William Shatner's James Kirk being erected in Riverside, Ia. The real-life city that would eventually see the fictitious birth of James T. Kirk.

Not long after that, another ceremony was held in Bloomington, In. This time, for the wonderful Kathryn Janeway. While Shatner hasn't been too keen on his statue, Kate Mulgrew, the woman behind the captain that was Janeway,...

Star Trek's most iconic engineer was often labeled a "miracle worker," but does Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott actually deserve such a title? As far back as Star Trek: The Original Series, characters throughout the entire Star Trek timeline have referred to Scotty as a miracle worker. He was an engineer capable of doing whatever his commanding officer asked, even when faced with the impossible. These miracles usually involved getting a badly damaged warp core up and running in record time or ensuring an incapacitated Enterprise had weapons at the ready in dire situations.

Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott was the Chief Engineer aboard several versions of the Starship Enterprise commanded by Captain James T. Kirk. By the time Star Trek: The Original Series ended, Scotty was the standard to which every engineer in Star Trek was held. Other Starfleet engineers, like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Miles O'Brien...

Colm Meaney has no plans to return as Chief O'Brien in Star Trek. While he believes in 'never say never,' Meaney is not eager to reprise the role of an elderly Miles O'Brien. The actor acknowledges Star Trek's ability to revamp itself but doesn't prioritize an O'Brien return.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Colm Meaney has no plans to return to Star Trek as Chief Miles O'Brien. Meaney originated O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but the Irish engineer truly came into his own on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as part of the crew led by Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). Between Tng and DS9, Meaney played O'Brien in 225 episodes, the most of any Star Trek actor except for Michael Dorn's Worf.

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Gazette interviewed Colm Meaney about his new film Duchess and asked the venerable Irish actor if he wants to reprise...

Colm Meaney is best known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but he's also clocked up a long list of other critically acclaimed acting roles across film and television. 

The Irish actor counts the likes of Hell on Wheels, Layer Cake, The Damned United, and The Journey among his credits, and most recently stars alongside Charlotte Kirk in Neil Marshall's action-packed new British action-crime thriller, Duchess.

While Meaney is only in one lengthy scene as the protagonist's father, "Mad Frank," it's another phenomenal performance which sees the actor embrace his dark side. 

"Oh, I think [Frank is] straight-up bad," he tells us in the video below. "He says so himself, 'I was born like this. I'm rotten to the core. I'll never be any different, don't fool yourself. You're not going to get redemption here.' He's got a very clear...

The character of Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) first appeared in "Encounter at Farpoint," the pilot episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." For many episodes, he was basically a background character, usually present to deliver a line or two of techno-jargon and to beam the senior staff from the ship to a planet and back. With each appearance, though, audiences began to get more details about O'Brien's life. He used to build ships in bottles as a boy, for instance. O'Brien would marry and have a child. All told, O'Brien appeared in 52 episodes of the show, sometimes starring in his own stories. 

The character became popular enough to be carried over to "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" in 1993, on which he was a regular character. On "Deep Space Nine," O'Brien became even more awesome, serving as the chief engineer on the station, having to familiarize himself with dated Cardassian technology,...

Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine introduced a long list of iconic characters, and while some made a bigger impact than others, Miles O'Brien understandably remains a firm fan favourite. 

Irish actor Colm Meaney played the transporter chief of the USS Enterprise-d and was later promoted to chief of operations of Deep Space Nine. Miles appeared in 225 episodes overall and clocked up the second most appearances, second only to Michael Dorn's Worf.

Last week, we caught up with Meaney to discuss his memorable role in Duchess. During our conversation with the actor, we asked whether he has any interest in reprising the role of Miles O'Brien (Picard recently took us back to The Next Generation era and O'Brien was sadly M.I.A.). 

"I think seven years in a space suit was enough, you know?" Meaney says in the video below. "I'm often asked...

Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax's departure from DS9 was permanent and shocking, resulting from behind-the-scenes issues. Terry Farrell's decision to leave stemmed from fatigue and a desire for a reduced role in the final season. Despite her departure, Farrell expressed interest in returning to the Star Trek franchise in the future.

Debuting in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's first episode Emissary, Lt.. Commander Jadzia Dax was one of the show's most popular characters, so why did she leave? The Science Officer, ally of Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) and eventual romantic partner to Worf (Michael Dorn) was played by Terry Farrell for 5 years before her shocking departure at the end of season 6. Her death sent shockwaves through Star Trek fan circles.

Deep Space Nine's era in the Star Trek timeline was one marked by war, and death was a frequent part of the long-running storylines. Some of the...

This post contains spoilers for Star Trek: Prodigy.

With the exception of Miles O’Brien, Wesley Crusher may have suffered more than any other Star Trek character. Not so much on screen, though few of us would be able to recover from a sharp “Shut up” from Captain Picard. Rather, Crusher has suffered off-screen, at the hands of viewers who hated having a precocious kid on the Enterprise during The Next Generation era and started groups devoted to imagining the character’s death.

Although Wesley has cameoed in the years after he left Tng with the Traveler, including in Picard and Lower Decks, it was still something of a surprise when Wesley returned in the second season of Star Trek: Prodigy in a more involved role. It was an even bigger surprise that fans welcomed him back with such elation, something that came as a real joy to Wesley performer, Wil Wheaton.

Chief O'Brien should not return to Star Trek to preserve his happy ending from Deep Space Nine. Colm Meaney has mixed feelings about returning, fearing a potential ruining of the character. There are ways for O'Brien to make a cameo without jeopardizing his peaceful retirement.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Chief O'Brien (Colm Meaney) is my favorite Star Trek character, but I don't want him to return to the franchise. Idw's Star Trek comics have recently brought back Chief O'Brien in Star Trek Annual 2024, which reunites him with Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) for a new adventure. You can make your own decision about whether O'Brien's comic book return is canon or not, but it does raise the question of whether Colm Meaney could, or should, return to Star Trek.

In a 2021 interview with Cbr, Colm Meaney said that...

Star Trek: Defiant #19 reunites fan-favorite characters Chief Miles O'Brien and Doctor Julian Bashir. The issue is set three years after Deep Space Nine's finale, exploring the characters' new lives and potential conflicts. Doctor Bashir's involvement with Section 31 adds intrigue to the story, as the characters' friendship faces challenges.

Warning: contains potential spoilers for Star Trek: Defiant #19!

The Star Trek franchise is home to more than a few great bromances, and now one of the best of all time is returning. IDWs Star Trek line, including Star Trek: Defiant, has crafted a large, overarching story bringing together characters from many iterations of the franchise. Now, in a first look at Septembers Star Trek: Defiant #19, two fan-favorite characters seemingly resume their classic bromance.

Idw shared their September solicitations, including Star Trek: Defiant #19, with League of Comic Geeks. The issue, which will be written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta,...

Star Trek is one of the most unique pop culture phenomena to date because of its widespread inclusivity. To widen their multiculturalism, the Gene Roddenberry franchise roped in Irish actor Colm Meany as the transporter chief in The Next Generation‘s USS Enterprise-d. But the No Way Up actor’s Star Trek journey was a struggle as he initially did not want to play an Irish character.

Colm Meaney and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation | Paramount Domestic Television

As the seasons of The Next Generation progressed, Colm Meaney was given a more prominent part in the series before he was promoted to a series regular in the spin-off show Deep Space Nine. Appearing at a convention, Colm Meaney shared that he badly wanted to play varied roles rather than sticking to the Irishman stereotype, but the sci-fi show had different plans for him.

Colm Meaney was done...

Star Trek: DS9's growth starts in season 3 with character arcs and continuity. Relationships and friendships become more important in season 3. Season 3 sets up key storylines for the Dominion War in later seasons.

I think Star Trek: Deep Space Nine actually gets good before Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) shows up in DS9 season 4. Challenges like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's inevitable comparison to Star Trek: The Next Generation and uncertainty about DS9's space station setting mean it takes time before Deep Space Nine figures out the type of show that it wants to be. Besides successes like Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) meeting Bajor's Prophets in DS9's pilot episode, "Emissary", and DS9 season 1, episode 19, "Duet", which examines Major Kira Nerys' (Nana Visitor) prejudices against Cardassians, the first season of Deep Space Nine can be forgettable.

Common advice to new viewers is that the first three seasons...

Ronald D. K'Ehleyr (Suzie Plakson) - Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 4, Episode 9, "Legacy" Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) - Star Trek: Tng, Season 7, Episodes 25 & 26, "All Good Things..."

Writer and producer Ronald D. Moore racked up an incredible body count, killing off several big-name Star Trek characters during his tenure on Tng and DS9. Given the high stakes of a life in Starfleet, death is a constant companion to every serving officer. It's not just the ill-fated Star Trek redshirts either, as many regular and recurring characters have also fallen in action. Many regular and recurring characters have given their lives, from the sacrifice of Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock all the way to the death of Lieutenant Hemmer (Bruce Horak) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Ronald D. Moore has been the writer and orchestrator of many of these dramatic deaths between joining...

Star Trek showcases both great and terrible father figures, highlighting the complexities of parenthood in the franchise. Fatherhood is examined through different lenses, from genetic augmentation to sacrifices for a child's future in various Star Trek series. Characters like Captain Benjamin Sisko embody the essence of a good father by prioritizing family above all else in Star Trek.

Father's Day is a time to celebrate great fathers, and there are many excellent paternal role models in Star Trek. A whole host of Starfleet dads were introduced in Star Trek: Picard as the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation gave way to their own next generation. However, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pioneered the portrayal of parenthood in Star Trek TV shows via Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney).

There are also many bad dads in the Star Trek franchise, from Q (John de Lancie...

Writers hardened Gul Dukat due to his Hitler-like past, making him the most unrepentant villain on Deep Space Nine. Nana Visitor's Kira views Dukat as unforgivable and irredeemable, refusing to ever forgive him for his actions. "Civil Defense" emphasized DS9's Cardassian origins, showcasing Dukat's dark intentions and desire to reclaim the station.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's writers hardened their Cardassian villain, Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), because, as one actor put it, he was "Hitler". Given Gul Dukat's dark past during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, it was unlikely that he could ever be fully redeemed. This is partly why, of all the recurring villains in the cast of Deep Space Nine, Gul Dukat became the most unrepentant, as he was consumed by bitterness and delusions of grandeur. However, early in DS9 season 3, the show's writers and cast members began to feel that Dukat was becoming too soft.

Star Trek: Discovery missed an opportunity by only showing glimpses of Saru and T'Rina's wedding in the series finale. The wedding could have highlighted the show's focus on character growth and relationships, particularly Saru and Burnham's friendship. Despite constraints, a full episode dedicated to the wedding could have been a satisfying and celebratory ending to the series.

It would have been a great idea for Star Trek: Discovery to spend more time at the wedding of Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) and President T'Rina (Tara Rosling), and I wish a whole episode was devoted to their nuptials. The glimpses of Saru and T'Rina's promised nuptials in Star Trek: Discovery's series finale, "Life, Itself", were far too brief, with no time devoted to the ceremony itself. It's an unusual choice, given that Star Trek: Discovery season 5 built up the first Vulcan-Kelpien wedding as an important event with political ramifications for the...