Star Trek: Voyager has captivated millions of fans worldwide with its exciting stories and memorable characters. However, like any other show, not every episode hit the mark, and one episode, in particular, stands out for all the wrong reasons.
It’s uncomfortable and reads like something out of a badly written fan fiction. Moreover, it’s so poorly done that even Captain Kirk, who’s often criticized for his old-school ways, seems less sexist in comparison.
The episode in question is Favorite Son and is infamous among Star Trek fans. Let’s dive deeper to know what happened in this episode that might be controversial.
How did Star Trek: Voyager get ‘Favorite Son’ so wrong?
As a franchise, Star Trek has always prided itself on being forward-thinking and breaking barriers by showcasing different cultures and a future where equality is the norm. But even a franchise as iconic as Star Trek has had its low and awkward moments. In Star Trek: Voyager, one episode was handled so poorly that it felt like it came straight out of a bad internet forum thread.
We’re talking about the episode Favorite Son, which took a very strange idea and turned it into something weirdly sexist and downright embarrassing. Here, the plot centers around Ensign Harry Kim, who suddenly starts to believe that he’s not human but actually a part of an alien species called the Taresians.
These aliens are mostly women who live on a planet where, apparently, men are rare and worshipped. At first, this premise sounds like a dream sequence straight out of a teenage boy’s fantasy. For Kim as well, he’s told that he’s special, chosen, and surrounded by women who want to marry him.
But as the story progressed, it soon turned into a dark and disturbing plot. The reality was that the Taresians don’t want Kim but are more interested in his DNA.
Their version of reproduction involves draining the life out of men, and they’ve also tricked many like him before. Although Kim narrowly escapes with the help of the Voyager crew, by then the damage was already done, not just to his character but to the episode’s reputation as well.
One of the most prominent reasons why it’s the worst is how it treats women as shallow, manipulative, and dangerous, all while framing Kim as a victim. More than proper sci-fi, it feels like the fantasy of someone who’s angry at women. It’s also so tone deaf that even William Shatner’s Captain Kirk would feel more progressive by comparison.
Can you believe Captain Kirk is still going strong at 94?
William Shatner brought the legendary Captain Kirk from Star Trek to life, and even at the age of 94, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. More than half a century after he stepped onto the Starship Enterprise, the iconic actor is still working and living life to the fullest.
Not just Star Trek, but apart from that, he’s also made some notable appearances in popular shows. How can we forget his guest cameo in The Big Bang Theory and also the fact that he was so good with his comedic lines? While the show concluded in 2019, his appearance is still one of the best out of the lot.
Apart from that, he has also maintained his health quite well, and in 2024, he gave an interview via TODAY detailing the reasons why he stays so fit and active. He joked, “Don’t tell anybody my age,” and that he’s always got a birthday around the corner, making fun of how quickly the years seem to pass.
But beyond the jokes and humor, he added that the key to his long life has been a mix of luck, good health, and a love for life. As he gets older, the iconic actor becomes more aware of how precious life is. Still, he’s not letting his age slow him down, and to be honest, fans wouldn’t want that either.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire