star trek minor 7th

How to Memorize Musical Intervals

Learning how to identify musical intervals is an important part of music theory, and it’s a skill that can be picked up over the span of a couple weeks with a little bit of practice each day. A musical interval is merely the difference between two pitches.

Some people can hear a pitch (out of context) and identify the frequency of the note by specifying it’s note name; this is referred to as absolute pitch or perfect pitch. Roughly 1 out of 10,000 people have perfect pitch, so it’s quite a rare ability. On top of this, many people never realize they have perfect pitch unless they’ve put in the time to learn some music theory fundamentals.

One of my friends has perfect pitch. It seems almost like a superpower because we’ll be sitting around, and then something like an alarm will go off, someone will laugh, or a dog will bark and they’ll call out the note the sound source is playing. They don’t have to think about which note is playing, they just know. People with perfect pitch describe this phenomenon “like seeing in color.” Unfortunately, you either have perfect pitch, or you don’t.

If you don’t have perfect pitch, don’t worry. Most amazing musicians don’t have perfect pitch either, but they’ve developed their relative pitch. Relative pitch is the ability of a person to identify a musical note by comparing it to a reference note and determining the interval between those two notes. This is a skill that can be learned, meaning you don’t have to be born with it. It allows you to re-create melodies, identify the notes that are apart of chords, and much more.

Everything in music is relative, meaning the notes played before and after a note are just as important as the note itself. For example, the Jaws theme song is only a handful of notes that play a minor 2nd interval repeatedly. A minor 2nd interval is created by playing a note on your keyboard, and then moving up your keyboard one semi-tone and playing that note (for example, playing a C and then a D flat). Regardless of which note you start on, playing the note that’s one semi-tone up from it will create a minor 2nd interval.  

The minor 2nd interval in the Jaws theme song creates tension, suspense, and fear because it’s eerie, and many people associate it with a movie about a killer shark. My main point here is that the specific notes used in the Jaws theme song don’t matter. Regardless of what key the Jaws theme song is played in, you’re going to be able to recognize it as the Jaws theme song. If you hear two notes played either back-to-back, or simultaneously, and they remind you of the Jaws theme song, the interval being played is likely a minor 2nd.

Perfect pitch is a neat party trick, but it's not necessary to write great music. Relative pitch is what you should work on developing. The way you develop relative pitch is by memorizing different intervals. When the notes that make up intervals are played simultaneously, they create a diatonic chord; a chord made up of two notes. You already know one of these intervals (the minor 2nd), but there are 12 other basic intervals you should memorize as well. From there, you can move onto memorizing other types of chords, such as triads, 7th chords, 9th chords, 11th chords, etc.

The 13 Basic Intervals

There are 13 intervals that you should memorize:

• Perfect Fourth

Perfect 5th

These intervals can span beyond a single octave, but recognizing them doesn’t become much more difficult. A C1 to an E2 (Major 3rd + 1 Octave) isn’t too hard to recognize if you can recognize a C1 to an E1 (Major 3rd). It's important to be able to recognize intervals when they're ascending, descending, and when both notes of the interval are played at the same time. I've included what the interval looks like on a keyboard, and a YouTube video containing a memorable song that will help you to remember what each interval sounds like below.

If two notes are in unison, it means that they sound the same pitch. I don’t have a video example for this one because there’s not much to remember; if the notes you’re listening to are the same, they’re in unison.

‍ Minor 2nd

A minor 2nd is created when there’s a one semi-tone difference in pitch between two notes. This interval is played repeatedly in the Jaws theme song. It creates a tense, gut-wrenching feeling that wants to resolve to the root note of the key you’re in. A minor 2nd is being played by the low string section in the following YouTube video and is repeated multiple times.

A major 2nd is created when there’s a two semi-tone difference in pitch between two notes. The song “Happy Birthday” plays a major 2nd interval when it changes notes for the first time.

A minor 3rd is created when there’s a three semi-tone difference in pitch between two notes. Canada’s national anthem “O Canada” plays a minor 3rd interval when it changes notes for the first time.

A major 3rd is created when there’s a four semi-tone difference in pitch between two notes. The song “Kumbaya” plays a major 3rd interval when it changes from it’s second to third note.

• Perfect 4th

A perfect 4th is created when there’s a five semi-tone difference in pitch between two notes. The song “Here Comes The Bride” plays a perfect 4th interval when it changes notes for the first time.

A tritone is created when there’s a six semi-tone difference in pitch between two notes. The Simpsons theme song contains a tritone, and it’s played when the voices sing “The Simp…” at 5 seconds. This dissonant interval resolves upwards to the perfect 5th when the voices sing “…sons.”

A perfect 5th is created when there’s a seven semi-tone difference in pitch between notes. The Star Wars theme song plays a perfect 5th interval when it changes notes for the first time at 9 seconds. This interval is one of the most powerful sounding intervals and is used to construct power chords.

A minor 6th is created when there’s an eight semi-tone difference in pitch between notes. The song “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin contains three minor 6th intervals in a row at 12 seconds.

A major 6th is created when there’s a nine semi-tone difference in pitch between notes. The song “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” plays a major 6th interval when it changes notes for the first time.

A minor 7th is created when there’s a ten semi-tone difference in pitch between notes. The original Star Trek theme song plays a minor 7th interval at 30 seconds.

A major 7th is created when there’s an eleven semi-tone difference in pitch between notes. The song “Take on Me” plays a major 7th inteval at 54 seconds.

An octave is created when there’s a twelve semi-tone difference in pitch between notes. The song “Somewhere over the Rainbow” from Wizard of Oz plays contains an octave jump, and it’s demonstrated when Dorthy sings “Somewhere.”

Methods to Memorize Intervals

Memorizing intervals is a pretty straightforward process, you just need to keep listening to intervals until you remember what they sound like. However, there are a couple of techniques that will reduce the time it takes you to learn these intervals, and that will turn an otherwise dull process into a fun game!

Repetition is the name of the game, and if you practice for about 15-20 minutes per day for a couple weeks, you should be able to identify all of the intervals listed above with no issues at all. You’ll see better results if you spread out your practice time throughout the week. It's more effective to practice a little bit each day than it is to practice a lot in one day, even if the total time you've practiced is the same. ‍

I recommend learning intervals in the following order:

• Perfect 5th ‍

EarMaster ($59.95) ‍ ‍

There are apps for music producers that allow you to develop your ability to recognize intervals and chords, as well as work on many other music theory skills; my favorite of these apps has to be EarMaster. It’s a comprehensive ear training software that covers intervals, chords, rhythms, and melodies. If you’re looking for software that will streamline your voyage through the world of music theory, EarMaster is what you’re looking for.

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Minor 7th intervals: A Music Theory and Ear Training Guides

As a fundamental building block of music theory, minor 7th intervals can play a significant role in shaping melodies, harmonies, and musical progressions. Whether you’re a budding musician, a music student, or simply curious about the inner workings of music, understanding major 6th intervals is essential for expanding your musical vocabulary.

In this article, we’ll explore the characteristics of the Minor 7th interval, give you examples to listen to and help you recognise it by ear.

Table of Contents

Minor 7th Interval Songs

Here are some famous examples of minor 7th intervals in popular songs. There really are too many to choose from as any two notes that are 10 half-steps (semitones) or 5 whole-steps apart are classified as a Minor 7th interval. I have selected pieces where the Minor 7th contributes to a memorable part of the song so hopefully this will help with recognising this interval.

‘Somewhere’ – West Side Story

“Somewhere” from West Side Story is like this beautiful and dreamy ballad that just takes you to another world. It’s all about finding that place of hope and peace amidst the chaos.

The first two notes are a B natural and A natural which make a minor 7th. B – A# would be a major 7th, so by lowering the A a half step we get a Minor 7th.

Star Trek Original Theme

The original Star Trek theme is like the ultimate space adventure anthem that instantly transports you to the cosmos. It’s got that futuristic sound, a sense of epicness, and you can’t help but feel a rush of excitement as it boldly takes you on a journey through the final frontier.

Again is it the first two notes of this piece that give us the minor 7th. C to B natural is a major 7th, so C to b flat is a minor 7th.

‘Can’t Stop’ – Red hot Chill Peppers

“Can’t Stop” by Red Hot Chili Peppers is like an explosive burst of energy that just pumps you up and makes you want to move. It’s got that funky rock sound, catchy riffs, and great vocals too.

The first two notes of the the bass riff give us a minor 7th (E to D). As the can see from the image this resolves to the octave (e natural).

What is a Minor 7th Interval?

Firstly, the definition of an interval is the distance between two notes. We could play the notes at the same time, a harmonic interval, or one of the other, a melodic interval. So how can we describe the distance between two notes.

Using whole steps and half-steps (tones and semitones)

We could describe an interval in terms of the number of half-steps for the lower note to the upper note. For a minor 7th we have to go up 10 half-steps or 5 whole-steps to create the interval.

Using scales to name intervals

Simply put, scales are patterns of half-steps and whole-steps. In the major scale, the 7th degree will be a Major 7th. If we flatten this note by a half-step we will turn it into a Minor 7th. 

If we use the Natural minor scale, such as A Minor, we can see that the 3rd, 6th and 7th have been flattened when comparing it to the A Major scale. So if you take the A Natural minor scale, the root to the 7th note will give you a Minor 7th interval.

Ear Training and Intervals

To develop as a musician you’ll want to be able to recognise intervals by ear. This is where ear training comes in, as the more you practice, the better your’ll get.

My recommendation for this is Tonegym as they have a comprehensive and fun program for training your ears. It’s what has gotten the best results with for my own students.

In the ‘tools’ section of their site, Tonegym even have an interval memorizer that allows you to learn every type of interval.

For an in-depth look at ear training, here’s my full review of Tonegym.

Examples of Minor 7th Intervals

Here is a table which shows Minor 7ths across a whole octave. Remember that to name an interval ask yourself, ‘Which degree of the lower note’s scale is the higher note?’

Minor 7th Interval Qualities

We can describe the sound of intervals using a numbers of adjectives. An interval can sound ‘stable’ or ‘grounded’ like a perfect 5th, or it could sound ‘dissident’, ‘neutral’ or even ‘sinister’.

The interval of a minor 7th is a harmonically unstable interval that evokes a sense of tension and mystery. It can be described as a dissonant interval due to its relatively large distance on the musical staff.

The minor 7th interval is often utilized in various musical genres to convey a range of emotions, from introspection and yearning to moments of bittersweetness or introspective contemplation.

How to Identify Minor 7th Intervals by Ear

The best way to start identifying Minor 7th intervals is by listening to reference songs like the ones  above . This will give you a reference point to look back at when listening to new pieces.

For a challenge, see if you can spot the Minor 7th intervals in the following pieces.

• ‘Josie’ – Steely Dan
• ‘Chameleon’ Herbie Hancock
• ‘Lady Jane’ Rolling Stones (descending)
• ‘The Shadow of your Smile’ Ella Fitzgerald

ToneGym- The Ultimate Ear Training App

ToneGym allows you to improve your ear with a range of games, interactive and competitions.

Or check out our complete review of ToneGym.

How to Play Minor 7th Intervals on Your Instrument

If you are a pianist then playing a Minor 7th couldn’t be easier. Moving up four and a half whole-steps (9 half-steps) or playing the 7th note of the natural minor scale. Check out the example below.

Minor 7th intervals on guitar are also simply to play. The shape below can be slide up a down the neck to play minor 7th intervals starting and ending in any note.

What’s next….?

• Learn about the Major 7th intervals.
• Expand your interval knowledge with out complete guide to intervals.

© Jade Bultitude

Guitar Intervals

Improvising on the guitar requires you to have a good understanding of note relationships on the fretboard. The moment you need to start thinking about a particular note you want to play, it’s already too late. That’s why we study and practice scales, arpeggios, and chords. Another useful tool to visualize the relationship between notes on the fretboard are intervals.

In this lesson, you will learn about all the different musical intervals, how they look on the guitar, and how you can practice intervals so you can use them in your solos.

What Are Intervals?

An interval is the distance between two notes.

You can make a distinction between melodic intervals and harmonic intervals.

A melodic interval is when two notes sound successive. A harmonic interval is when two notes sound simultaneous.

There are two families of intervals:

• Major intervals : 2nds (9ths), 3rds, 6ths (13ths), and 7ths.
• Perfect intervals : unisons, 4ths (11ths), 5ths, and octaves.

These two families can be adapted:

• When a  major  interval is lowered a half step, it becomes  minor .
• When a  perfect  interval is lowered a half step, it becomes  diminished .
• When a  perfect  interval is raised a half step, it becomes  augmented .

Intervals on the Guitar Fretboard

Half steps between notes : 0

Melodic use : the repetition of a note. This is not purely theoretic though, it can be used as an effect, such as in the following example.

2. Minor Second (minor 2nd)

Half Tones : 1 (half tone = half step = 1 fret on the guitar) Ear Mnemonic : the Jaws theme begins with a minor second Melodic use : used all the time, in scales etc. Harmonic use : sometimes used as an effect, as in the following example.

The minor second works well in some chords, usually with open strings:

3. Major Second (major 2nd)

Half Tones : 2 (or 1 whole tone) Ear Mnemonic : the two first notes of Happy Birthday Melodic use : used all the time, in scales etc. Harmonic use : sometimes used in chords or as an effect, such as in the following example.

4. Minor Third (minor 3rd)

Half Tones : 3 Ear Mnemonic : the guitar riff from  Whole Lotta Love  (Led Zeppelin) Melodic use : used all the time, in arpeggios , chords , … Harmonic use : minor and major thirds are used to harmonize melodic lines (for an example see major thirds)

5. Major Third (major 3rd)

Half Tones : 4 (or 2 whole tones) Ear Mnemonic : Oh When the Saints Melodic use : used all the time, in arpeggios and chords.

You can also play a scale in major and minor thirds (instead of major and minor seconds).

Here’s the C major scale played in thirds:

Harmonic use : minor and major thirds can be used to harmonize melodies or as a scale for improvisation.

Here’s the C major scale harmonized in thirds:

6. Perfect Fourth (perfect 4th)

Half Tones : 5 Ear Mnemonic : Here Comes The Bride Melodic use : just like you can play a scale in thirds, you can also play a scale in fourths (perfect and augmented fourths), such as in the following example over the C major scale:

Harmonic use : fourths are used in quartal chords , such as in So What, a popular jazz standard written by Miles Davis .

The 4th interval is also used in sus4 chords, such as in this C9sus4 chord:

7. Augmented Fourth (aka Tritone or Diminished Fifth)

The tritone is an important interval.

It is the weakest interval, meaning that it has the tendency to go somewhere, it wants to move to other notes.

The tritone is the main interval of dissonance in our harmony and they are the reason that dominant chords and diminished chords want to move to a tonic chord.

Half tones : 6 (3 whole tones, hence the name tritone) Ear Mnemonic : The Simpsons theme, Maria (West Side Story) Melodic use : The tritone is an important aspect of the Locrian mode. Harmonic use : the tritone is an important element of dominant chords, half-diminished chords and diminished 7 chords (which has 2 tritones). The tritone is also used in tritone substitution .

In the chord C7 for example, there’s a tritone between e and b flat:

8. Perfect Fifth (perfect 5th)

Half Tones : 7 Ear Mnemonic : Star Wars theme Melodic use : you can play a scale in fifths, such as in the following example.

Pat Metheny’s song  Bright Size Life  starts in fifths:

Harmonic use : the 5th is generally something you want to avoid in your jazz voicings, it does not add much to the sound. It is often used in rock though (power chords).

9. Minor Sixth (minor 6th)

Half Tones : 8 (or 4 whole tones) Ear Mnemonic : Black Orpheus Melodic Use : very nice interval, a bit melancholic. A scale can be played in minor and major 6ths (see major 6th) Harmonic Use : A scale can be harmonized using minor and major 6ths (see major 6th)

There’s a minor 6th in this nice chord from the Aeolian mode (one of the guitar modes ):

Dm7b6 (or Bbmaj9/D)

10. Major Sixth (major 6th)

Half Tones : 9 Ear Mnemonic : All Blues (Miles Davis) Melodic Use : playing scales in major an minor 6ths sounds bluesy.

Here’s the C major scale in 6ths (grab these like little chords, let the low note ring while you play the 6th):

Harmonic Use : in the same fashion as the example above, you can harmonize a scale in 6ths:

The 6th is also an important interval in chords:

C6 (C major 6)

Cm6 (C minor 6)

11. Minor Seventh (minor 7th)

Minor and major 7ths are important intervals in jazz. “Jazzyfying” a chord usually means adding the 7th to a triad.

Half Tones : 10 (or 5 whole tones) Ear Mnemonic : Somewhere (West Side Story), Star Trek Theme Harmonic use : the minor 7th is in minor 7th chords , half-diminished and dominant 7th chords.

12. Major Seventh (major 7th)

Half Tones : 11 Ear Mnemonic : chorus of  Take On Me (A-ha) Harmonic use : the major 7th is a part of major 7th chords .

13. Perfect Octave

The circle is round, we are back at the starting note c, but 12 half tones higher.

Half Tones : 12 (or 6 whole tones) Ear Mnemonic : Over The Rainbow Melodic and Harmonic Use : octaves are often used à la Wes Montgomery , in solos and themes, such as in the following example from Wes Montgomery’s standard Four on Six .

Compound Intervals

The intervals we’ve seen so far are what we call “simple intervals”.

There are a couple more intervals, called “compound intervals” because they go beyond the octave.

We’re not going to talk about all of them, only the important ones.

1. Minor Ninth (minor 9th)

Interval distance:  octave + minor 2nd Use : in dominant b9 chords.

2. Major Ninth (major 9th)

Interval distance : octave + major 2nd (or 7 whole tones) Use : in major 9, minor 9, dominant 9 chords

C9 (C dominant 9)

3. Augmented Ninth (augmented 9th)

Interval distance : octave + augmented 2nd Use : in dominant #9 chords

4. Perfect Eleventh (perfect 11th)

Interval distance : octave + perfect 4th Use : in minor 11 chords

5. Augmented Eleventh (augmented 11th)

Interval distance : octave + augmented 4th Use : in major #11 chords and dominant #11 chords

6. Minor Thirteenth (minor 13th)

Interval distance : octave + minor 6th Use : in dominant b13 chords

7. Major Thirteenth (major 13th)

Interval distance : octave + major 6th Use : in dominant 13 chords

4 thoughts on “Guitar Intervals”

Thanks. Repetition is the scholars’ mother!

Thanks a lot for the lesson.

Awesome lesson. THANKS!

Thank you. I’m enjoying this lesson, learning a bit about chord intervals gives me yet another method for getting those fingers fretted right were they will sound so right. -Tim

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• Hearing Intervals - Part 3

Welcome to the third part of this series on how to identify music intervals!

In Part 2 , we talked about:

• The ascending major 3rd
• the ascending perfect 4th
• The ascending augmented 4th
• The ascending perfect 5th.

Today we will cover:

• The ascending minor 6th
• The ascending major 6th
• The ascending minor 7th
• The ascending major 7th.

💡 To refresh your mind on what those interval names mean, check out our dedicated article here .

How to identify ascending minor sixths

A minor 6th has 8 semitones, as discussed here . Remember, each interval type carries a distinct characteristic in its sound profile, and the way to identify them is to get used to the sound of each. So let's listen to some examples of ascending minor sixths:

Note that C - G♯ has 8 semitones too, but the name of this interval is augmented 5th. Since the minor 6th and augmented 5th have the same interval width (8 semitones), they share the same distinct sound, despite their different names in theory.

I have a beautiful song that will help you remember this interval! The first two notes here correspond to an ascending minor 6th:

How to identify ascending major sixths

A major 6th has 9 semitones, as discussed here . Here are some examples of this interval:

For this interval, I again have a song by Chopin (yes, he is one of my favorite composers!). The first 2 notes in the Nocturne in E Flat Major (Op. 9 No. 2) form a major sixth:

How to identify ascending minor sevenths

A minor 7th has 10 semitones, as discussed here . Let's listen to some examples of this interval:

For this interval, you can think about Star Trek 🛸, since its theme begins with 2 notes that form a minor 7th:

How to identify ascending major sevenths

A major 7th has 11 semitones, as discussed here . Below are some examples of this interval:

A good song to reference here is "Don't Know Why," where the two first notes form an ascending major 7th:

That's it for now. When you're feeling good with the intervals here, head to Part 4 where we'll begin reviewing the descending intervals. As always, use a keyboard or the virtual one in Flat to practice and master the intervals. See you soon,

‌Articles in our series about intervals:

• Exploring Interval Names in Music Theory for beginners
• Hearing Intervals - Part 1
• Hearing Intervals - Part 2
• Hearing Intervals - Part 4
• Hearing Intervals - Part 5
• Hearing Intervals - Part 6

Join a fantastic community of 5M+ musicians!

How to Identify Big Intervals like Sixths and Sevenths

by Christopher Sutton | Intervals | 0 comments

Intervals are one of the core ear training topics that most musicians tackle as they hone their aural skills. Often the small intervals (seconds and thirds) and octaves are easy to get a handle on, but the larger ones are trickier. One request we hear again and again from RelativePitch users and site visitors is how best to identify big intervals: minor sixths, major sixths, minor sevenths and major sevenths.

It’s easy to understand this. With the small intervals it’s relatively easy to relate one note to the other by using a scale or arpeggio (whether consciously, or just relying on your ear). Anybody who’s played endless major scales on their instrument will be very familiar with major and minor seconds already, as the steps of the scale. Likewise, major and minor thirds feature in arpeggios.

Perfect fourths and fifths start getting a bit tougher, and once you extend the leap to sixths and sevenths, a lot of students feel it’s too big a jump for them to accurately judge. Sure, it’s bigger than a fifth and smaller than an octave, but that still leaves four possibilities!

Tips to identify big intervals like sixths and sevenths

We’ll look at three techniques which can be helpful if you’re struggling with big intervals like sixths and sevenths when learning to recognise intervals . The three techniques each provide a “stepping stone” to identify big intervals. Use the technique described to get started and help your ear start to appreciate the character of the interval. Then in time you’ll find you can recognise them straight off.

• Use the interval’s inversion
• Use small intervals to reach a known interval
• Use reference tunes which feature the interval

1. Use the interval’s inversion

If you’re learning to recognise big intervals like sixths and sevenths, the chances are good you’ve already mastered seconds, thirds and octaves (if not, it’s probably worth going back to get solid on those easier intervals). Here’s a trick you can use to start identifying sixths and sevenths, just using your ability with thirds and octaves.

You can use major and minor thirds to distinguish minor from major sixths. Likewise, you can use major/minor seconds for minor/major sevenths.

The trick is to ‘jump’ the lower note of the interval up an octave in your mind’s ear. This inverts the sixth or seventh into a second or third instead, and by recognising this smaller interval you can figure out the original interval!

You can use this trick for all sixths and sevenths:

• Minor Second (a.k.a. semitone / half step) gets inverted to a Major Seventh
• Major Second (a.k.a. tone / whole step) gets inverted to a Minor Seventh
• Minor Third gets inverted to a Major Sixth
• Major Third gets inverted to a Minor Sixth

2. Use small intervals to identify big intervals

Again, we can leverage the intervals you do know to help you identify the ones you don’t .

For this technique, you should be comfortable with identifying perfect fifths and perfect octaves. You can use these as reference points to identify sixths and sevenths.

• Major Second above Perfect Fifth → Major Sixth
• Minor Second above Perfect Fifth → Minor Sixth
• Minor Second below Perfect Octave → Major Seventh
• Major Second below Perfect Octave → Minor Seventh

JazzAdvice.com recently had a nice post about using this approach.

3. Use reference tunes which feature the interval

One very common approach to learning intervals is to use interval reference songs : tunes which start off with the interval you’re trying to learn. The idea is, if you know the tune well, you associate it with the sound of the interval, and so can use it to recognise the interval.

There are a few downsides of learning intervals this way. Firstly, while it is a very good technique for learning to reproduce intervals (i.e. sing them, without any musical context), it is harder to use them to recognise intervals. Indeed, most students who use this approach will be singing their reference tunes in their head when trying to identify a heard interval.

This leads us to the second (more troubling) issue with this approach: it doesn’t lead on very well to more advanced interval recognition. If you are relient on reference tunes, it is very difficult to identify intervals in a musical context . Ever try to remember how a tune goes while another song is playing? Then you’ll know the awkward mental division required to use reference tunes in real musical situations!

You also need to learn different reference songs for the ascending and descending forms of the interval, and that still leaves you a bit stuck for the harmonic forms (both notes together).

Fortunately there is one key advantage to learning intervals with reference songs , and it’s why we’re mentioning it here: it’s easy to get started. When you really don’t know the sound of an interval, learning a reference tune for it can help your ear start to get familiar with its sound, and like the other tricks mentioned above, it can serve as a useful stepping-stone to true familiarity with the interval.

Here are some example reference tunes you can use for sixths and sevenths:

Minor Sixth

• Ascending : When Israel Was In Egypt’s Land (Go Down, Moses), The Entertainer (notes 3,4)
• Descending: Theme from Love Story, The Entertainer (notes 4,5)

Major Sixth

• Ascending : My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, Dashing Through the Snow (Jingle Bells)
• Descending : Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen, The Music of the Night (Phantom of the Opera)

Minor Seventh

• Ascending : Somewhere (West Side Story), Star Trek Theme (original series)
• Descending : Watermelon Man

Major Seventh

• Ascending : Take On Me (chorus), Immigrant Song (vocal riff notes 1,3)
• Descending : I Love You (Cole Porter)

If those don’t take your fancy, there are plenty of sites online which list other tunes you can use:

• AudioJungle.net
• WikiBooks.org
• VCU Music Theory
• EarMaster.com

Depending on your proficiency with audiation you might find one of these three approaches easier than the other. It can help to practise the technique on a piano or other instrument (or for the reference songs, use a recording) at first, to get used to the aural gymnastics required!

And remember: these are all just stepping-stones. As you get more familiar with sixths and sevenths, you should find you need these crutches less, and you begin to simply be able to recognise the sounds directly. This is always what you should be aiming for!

We’ll let Django Bates play us out, with his innovative (and surprisingly catchy) Interval Song :

When you first try to identify big intervals like sixths and sevenths it can be frustrating. Don’t get discouraged! Use one or more of the three techniques explained above and you will quickly find yourself starting to recognise big intervals easily. Soon they’ll be just as simple as the small ones and your interval recognition skills will be complete.

Listen/Watch The Podcast:

• The Circle of Fifths
• Interval Ear Training
• The Dorian Mode
• The Pentatonic Scale
• What is Kodály?
• How to Sing in Tune
• Four Chord Songs
• Syncopation
• Tune a Guitar By Ear
• Chord Progressions
• Common Chord Progressions
• Minor Chord Progressions
• Blues Music
• Time Signatures
• Polyrhythms
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The Sweet Reason Why Wil Wheaton Was 'Thrilled' To Return For Star: Trek Prodigy

The actor was ready for a return.

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 is now available with a Netflix subscription , and I believe it's the best serialized Trek story fans have ever been gifted. One major reason I think that is because the series brought back Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher in a big way. And, as CinemaBlend recently confirmed, this all came together before Picard ever re-introduced the character during its own second season. Now, we here at CB have learned the sweet reason why Wheaton was "thrilled" to be a part of the series after seemingly being forgotten by the franchise's shows after Wesley's exit in The Next Generation .

I had the honor of speaking to Prodigy 's showrunners, brothers Kevin and Dan Hageman, about Wil Wheaton's return as Wesley, who I hope we see more of in upcoming Trek shows . As those who have watched the season know, Wesley plays the largest role he's had in a story since TNG , so I had to know how the actor felt about being involved in such a big way. Dan confirmed that the actor was as happy as I imagined he'd be, but the EP also revealed that there was a very personal reason for Wheaton's joy:

He was thrilled. He has a lot of strong feelings [about Prodigy] because he was a child actor and [being part] of a show that kids can watch. His nieces and nephews are huge fans and he would watch it with them and he loved watching it with them. When he found out he was going to be in it he was like, ‘I’m not going to tell them.’...they’re going to watch the show and he’s going to be sitting there beside them like, ‘Yep. I’m in it.’ That just tickled us to no end.

I went on a journey through Wil Wheaton's Tumblr to see if he'd posted about showing his nieces and nephews yet, but I wasn't able to see anything scrolling through. Of course, it's easy enough to imagine the thrill one might have being a child and seeing their uncle pop up on one of their favorite shows. I love that Wheaton gets to experience that joy, especially after dealing with Wesley-hating fans during his run on The Next Generation .

Wil Wheaton is always good at speaking from the heart.

Star Trek: Prodigy pulls back the curtain back on what Wesley has been up to since joining the Travelers, and there's room to expand on it. My main focus is on hoping that Netflix renews the animated series for Season 3. However, I'd also campaign for a full-blown Travelers show or miniseries to be made and follow Crusher's exploits. Be it animated or live-action, that has the potential to be an awesome series I'd watch either on Netflix or with a Paramount+ subscription on day one.

If that isn't in the cards, how cool of Star Trek: Prodigy to make Wesley Crusher such a big part of the story? I hope that if Season 3 happens, he continues to pop up, as we're past due for another character in this universe with mystical powers. If Wil Wheaton's character becomes the new equivalent to Guinan or Q of this new era, that would be great.

In case it wasn't evident by now, Star Trek: Prodigy is worth streaming on Netflix. Season 1 is also available on the platform for those who have yet to tune in, and I'm hoping some Season 3 news will come along sooner rather than later.

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Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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Rick Berman reportedly made Star Trek: Deep Space Nine uncomfortable for Terry Farrell

A fter six seasons of playing Jadzia Dax, the only Trill in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Terry Farrell was tired. She didn't want to be in every episode of the seventh season, but when she asked for fewer episodes, her character was killed off the series. Farrell has gone on record, in a 2011 interview with Startrek.com { via Slashfilm } talking about how she had put her life on hold because of the series, and she was really tired of having to get up at four in the morning.

There was another issue, though, that affected Farrell's time on the series...at least at first. And that was Rick Berman's personal comments about her that would have less of a chance of being tolerated in any type of work environment today.

According to Farrell, n the oral history book "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams [ via Slashfilm ], Berman had a strange focus on her body, most significantly her breasts, often comparing them to his secretary's.

The problems with my leaving were with Rick Berman. In my opinion, he's just very misogynistic. He'd comment on your bra size not being voluptuous. His secretary had a 36C or something like that, and he would say something about, 'Well, you're just, like, flat. Look at Christine over there. She has the perfect breasts right there.Terry Farrell

Though things got better in later years, it's difficult to think Farrell put up with such nonsense while working long hours on Deep Space Nine. Berman's concentration on her body (and even her hair) were demeaning, and it doesn't sound like she had any support from the other executives.

"Michael Piller didn't care about those things, so he wasn't there when you were having all of these crazy fittings with Rick Berman criticizing your hair or how big your breasts were or weren't. That stuff was so intense, especially the first couple of years."Terry Farrell

Fortunately, Farrell continued a successful career after leaving Deep Space Nine, starring in the comedy series, Becker, for four seasons. She also hasn't let the distaste of some of her time as Jadzia Dax keep her from attending fan conventions or interacting with the Star Trek community. And it hasn't stopped her from wanting to return as the beloved character as she gave fans at the 56-Year Mission Star Trek convention in Las Vegas an idea of how it was possible for Jadzia to return.

"I was actually thinking about how Spock died. Didn’t he melt, basically? He saved everyone’s life. And then he just came back… and there he was. And Kirk kind of went, “Oh, there he is.” And everyone nodded and said, “Yes, he’s back!” I want that moment for me…"Terry Farrell

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Rick Berman reportedly made Star Trek: Deep Space Nine uncomfortable for Terry Farrell .

The Xindi (pronounced " ZIN-dee ") were a group of six sentient species who all evolved on Xindus , a planet in the Delphic Expanse . The species that survived the Xindi Civil War were governed by the Xindi Council .

In the early 2150s , the Xindi Council committed an infamous attack on Earth and made repeated attempts to terminate Humans , which changed the course of history and initiated a series of events that helped establish United Earth as a major interstellar power. In at least one future timeline , from where Daniels originated, the Xindi state had, by the 26th century , become a member of the United Federation of Planets .

According to the reference book Star Trek: Federation - The First 150 Years , the Xindi were Federation members by the year 2311 .

• 1 Xindi species
• 6 Related topics
• 7.1 Appearances
• 7.2.1 Origins
• 7.2.2 Visualizing Xindi
• 7.2.3 Costumes and sets
• 7.2.4 Performing as Xindi
• 7.2.5 Reception
• 7.3 Apocrypha
• 7.4 External links

Xindi species [ ]

Six different intelligent species developed on Xindus; one of them, the Xindi-Avians , was believed extinct by the 2150s, as the result of a brutal civil war between the six species that destroyed the planet. ( ENT : " The Shipment ") The surviving species were united under the governance of the Xindi Council , which contained two representatives from each species. ( ENT : " The Xindi ", et al. ) The five remaining species were:

• Xindi-Aquatics
• Xindi-Arboreals
• Xindi-Insectoids
• Xindi-Primates
• Xindi-Reptilians

Each of these five remaining species had their own distinct opinion about which was the dominant species, all separately favoring their own. ( ENT : " The Xindi ") There was, therefore, an enormous amount of conflict and distrust between the species. ( ENT : " Exile ") However, the Arboreals and Primates tended to quarrel the least, with most conflict centering on the aggressive Reptilians and Insectoids, or the indecisive Aquatics.

In the final draft script of " The Shipment ", a description of the relations between the Reptilian and Arboreal species commented, " There's great tension between the two species; neither trusts nor likes the other. "

The different Xindi species were extremely similar in their functionally important DNA , sharing over 99.5% despite the apparent physical differences. ( ENT : " The Xindi ") All the Xindi species shared distinctive ridges on their cheekbones and foreheads. ( ENT : " The Xindi ", et al. )

History [ ]

• Main article: Xindi history

The Xindi had a long and turbulent history, characterized by interspecies conflict up until the destruction of their homeworld in the 2030s as the result of an Insectoid and Reptilian plot. ( ENT : " The Shipment ") In the 2150s, they attempted to destroy Earth with a massive weapon . ( ENT : " The Xindi ", et al. )

In the mirror universe , Xindi ships fought in a conflict with the Terran Empire sometime prior to 2155 . ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly ", " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ")

Conflicts between the Xindi and the Terrans were seen in the opening credits of "In a Mirror, Darkly" and "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II".

In the 26th century of an alternate timeline , Xindi served on the USS Enterprise -J during the Battle of Procyon V against the Sphere-Builders . ( ENT : " Azati Prime ")

Culture [ ]

The Xindi practically worshipped the Guardians , considering them saviors. Children were taught to revere them and give thanks to them at the end of each day . It was a terrible offense to question a Guardian. ( ENT : " The Council ")

Xindi passed down " initiation medals " among the members of a family . ( ENT : " Azati Prime ")

For more information on the culture of each Xindi race, see each race's own entry.

Language [ ]

Xindi written script

The Primates, Arboreals, and Reptilians spoke a common language that was recognized by Starfleet universal translators . The Insectoids and Aquatics understood this language, but appeared to be physically incapable of speaking it. Consequently, the Primates, Arboreals, and Reptilians were forced to learn the Insectoid and Aquatic languages.

In the novelization of The Expanse , it is stated that, as of 2153 , there were "five major Xindi tongues," each with written renderings.

See each Xindi race's own entry for more information.

• List of all Xindi

Related topics [ ]

• Xindi incident
• Temporal Cold War
• Xindi planets
• Xindi starship classes
• Xindi technology

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " The Expanse " ( Season 2 )
• " The Xindi " ( Season 3 )
• " The Shipment "
• " Twilight "
• " Carpenter Street "
• " Proving Ground "
• " Stratagem "
• " Doctor's Orders "
• " Azati Prime "
• " The Forgotten "
• " The Council "
• " Countdown "
• " Zero Hour "
• " Home " ( Season 4 )
• DIS : " ...But to Connect " ( Season 4 )
• PRO : " Crossroads "

Background information [ ]

Origins [ ].

The Xindi were originally not as varied as they became. " At first, there was only going to be one particular race of Xindi, " reported Star Trek: Enterprise concept illustrator John Eaves . ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 24, p. 11) Executive Producer Brannon Braga spent a very long time mulling over the concept which was later to develop into the Xindi. His initial idea was speculating what it might be like if, on Earth, Humans had not been the only lifeforms to develop intelligence but species such as dolphins, insects and other primates had too. ( Uncharted Territory, Part 3: Course Correction , ENT Season 2 Blu-ray special features) Braga admitted, " I always wonder, 'What would Earth have been like if dinosaurs had evolved to become intelligent? And not only that but insects, birds.... What if it happened, there was simultaneous evolution into intelligent organisms and they all lived together?' " ( In a Time of War, Part Three: Final Conflict , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features) Braga added to these notions by imagining that such a collection of intelligent lifeforms, if alien, might have a grudge against Earth. " It just all kind of came together, " he noted. ( Uncharted Territory, Part 3: Course Correction , ENT Season 2 Blu-ray special features)

As a result of instructions on how to develop Star Trek: Enterprise – which came from Paramount Pictures , amid the second season – the opportunity to actualize the concept of an alien alliance comprising various related species finally arose. " I knew it was hard to pull off, " admitted Brannon Braga. " But we'd just been given kind of carte blanche to maybe spend a little more money and do something big. " ( Uncharted Territory, Part 3: Course Correction , ENT Season 2 Blu-ray special features)

Co-Executive Producer Chris Black was involved in early discussions about the multi-species facet of the Xindi. Even though it had been decided that only one sentient dominant species would be depicted per planet, the notion of five sentient species who shared a planet was welcomed by the writing staff of Enterprise . (" Countdown " audio commentary , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)

The concept of the Xindi was additionally inspired by the attacks on 9/11 and those responsible for them. Director David Livingston mused, " The Xindi were [...] destroying parts of Earth, so it was reflective of what was going on at the time. " ( In a Time of War, Part One: Call to Arms , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)

Although a badly incinerated Xindi corpse appears in the second season finale " The Expanse " (which was scripted to have "animalistic features"), this effectively hid the fact that, by that point, no design for the physical appearance of the Xindi had been created. (" The Xindi " text commentary , ENT Season 3 DVD ) Brannon Braga recollected, " In terms of who the Xindi were, that didn't come until after the break [between the second and third seasons ]. " ("The Xindi Saga Begins", ENT Season 3 DVD special features) Giving life to the Xindi, designing how they looked, took a total of about two months. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 149 , p. 50) Commenting on the selection of the five specific species incorporated into the Xindi, Executive Producer Rick Berman stated, " They just were the ones that seemed right for us. It was just something Brannon and I developed; we knew that there was going to be the humanoids and the reptilians because we had touched on those, and then the other three came quite easy. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 147 , p. 16) John Eaves offered, " By the time that the script came out we were going to do a multiple version [of the Xindi], kind of like people from different countries. Not necessarily different skin colors but completely different species of creatures, like insectoids, humanoids and so on. The insectoid and humanoid species were the first ones we started working on. " ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 24, p. 11) In the final draft script of ENT Season 3 premiere " The Xindi ", the five species were described thus; " All of these Xindi are intelligent beings that evolved on the same planet, and though they are very different in appearance, they all share a subtle, unifying facial characteristic that hints at their common ancestry. "

Because it obviously wasn't guaranteed that the Xindi would prove successful, Rick Berman expected the aliens might subsequently be eliminated from the series and he therefore came up with a contingency plan of devising numerous stand-alone episodes in which they were not involved. ( In a Time of War, Part Two: Front Lines , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)

Visualizing Xindi [ ]

From the very beginning, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga knew they wanted to depict the Xindi-Insectoids and -Aquatics using CGI . ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 24, p. 14) This extensive use of visual effects technology, with both species typically being depicted entirely using computer-generated figures, tasked the VFX artists. " The challenge of the Xindi for the visual effects team, " explained Visual Effects Producer Dan Curry , " was that we would be creating a pretty high volume of CG characters in a very short period of time. " ( In a Time of War, Part Three: Final Conflict , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features) Curry credited the animators and the CG technology involved with making this possible. ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 65, p. 10) Curry recalled of the VFX artists, " We were very excited – we felt that now technology and what we've learned would enable us to do better quality work than we had done in the past with these [all-CGI characters]. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 149 , p. 50) " A few years ago it would have been financially impossible to do, " reckoned Rick Berman, midway through the third season. " What has happened now is that we have the technology and the people who can give it to us. The problem is that with our two CG species, the Insectoids and Aquatics, we will probably not see as much as we would like because of the expense. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 147 , p. 16)

Much research and development was invested in the character design for the Aquatics and Insectoids, at the start of the third season. [1] (X) The CG artists were well-prepared for the challenge of visually creating the characters. Digital Effects Supervisor John Teska recollected, " I'd already heard that there was gonna be this race of Xindi that, of course, were going to be multiple different kinds of aliens. You know, we had heard that the Insectoids and the Aquatics were going to be CG. " ("Visual Effects Magic", ENT Season 4 DVD special features) The task of designing these new beings went to Dan Curry. Although it's rare for a visual-effects producer instead of the art department to do any design work on Star Trek , Curry had proven he could deliver such work by having designed the Klingon bat'leth . He also had relevant experience of working with a full-CGI creature, in the form of Star Trek: Voyager 's Species 8472 . ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 24, pp. 14-15) Thus, the process of designing the Aquatics and Insectoids began, in both cases, with sketches by Curry, prior to the CG artists developing these designs. [2] (X) The appearance of both species had to seem particularly alien, owing to Berman and Braga's concept of the Xindi. It was made the responsibility of visual effects artists at CGI vendors Eden FX to proceed with the designs. ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 65, p. 10) Eden FX co-founder John Gross remembered, " We worked on [the Xindi insectoids and aquatics] together [with FX artists Dave Morton , Sean Scott , and John Teska], modelling them and rigging them and getting them working. It took a few weeks. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 118 , p. 30) Other Xindi species were occasionally represented with CGI, including Reptilians in some footage from " Countdown " ("Countdown" text commentary , ENT Season 3 DVD ) and Arboreals in " The Shipment ".

Costumes and sets [ ]

Virtually all the clothing worn by the Xindi was designed by Bob Blackman ; this even included ambassadorial robes worn by the Insectoids, though Insectoid armor (the only exception) was designed by Dan Curry. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 149 , pp. 50 & 51)

Under the aegis of Production Designer Herman Zimmerman , the art department had to design the look of the sets for each Xindi species. " That was a good challenge, " said Zimmerman, " just because we had to make them different enough that you always knew where you were. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 151 , p. 56)

The shipboard graphic layouts for the various Xindi species were designed to resemble each other (at least, in the case of the Xindi-Primates and Xindi-Reptilians). However, each species was given a different color scheme; the Reptilians had primarily blue control graphics, whereas the Primates had green ones, and the Insectoids' were colored red. (" The Xindi " text commentary , ENT Season 3 DVD ) Herman Zimmerman offered, " We did do a lot of very specific Xindi graphics and, within the larger framework of the Xindi, each Xindi species had their variation of those graphics. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 151 , p. 56)

Performing as Xindi [ ]

Of all the guest stars and recurring actors who featured on Star Trek: Enterprise , former longtime Star Trek casting director Ron Surma cited the group of performers who played recurring Xindi as a highlight, enthusing, " I liked the Xindi guys [...] Those guys were a lot of fun. " Surma also pointed out that Randy Oglesby , Rick Worthy and Scott MacDonald had all made repeated guest appearances on Star Trek before portraying recurring Xindi. [3] The actors themselves were extremely grateful for the repeated opportunities to appear on the series. The fact that filming the Xindi Council scenes required full days, however, initially meant that the Xindi-playing performers did not meet any of the series' regular cast members (this remained the case until at least immediately after the production of " Rajiin "). [4]

With very little information available about the Xindi at the start of the third season (such as in the script for third season opener " The Xindi "), the actors cast to play the aliens "weren't sure how it would go," in Scott MacDonald's words. [5] " We were creating it as we went along which is both liberating and limiting, " offered Xindi-Primate actor Tucker Smallwood . " That sort of thing takes agreement. Our directors change each week. You don't necessarily have that continuity, as you go from episode to episode. " Therefore, some of the actors who played Xindi Council members (including Scott MacDonald, Rick Worthy, Randy Oglesby and Smallwood himself) devised much about the multiple species, at least for personal subtext. Continued Smallwood, " [We] would interact each time we worked together – not only try to find continuity but also create, so that we had someplace to go to and come from. " Much of this inventing was during the group's long hours in make-up. " We teased about our rituals and having to make stuff up, " Smallwood reminisced. One thing the performers decided was that, though the only Xindi species to be firmly established as including females were the Aquatics and Reptilians (with the Insectoids being an asexual race), other Xindi females do exist. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 151 , pp. 51 & 52) Another element devised by the actors – specifically MacDonald and Oglesby, who played the leader of the Xindi-Reptilians and the leader of the Xindi-Primates respectively – was the hatred between the Reptilians and Primates, an idea the show's writers picked up on and began including in future scripts. [6]

The task of interacting with the imaginary Xindi-Insectoids and -Aquatics, later to be inserted into scenes with CGI , was fairly easy for the actors portraying Xindi-Primates, -Arboreals and -Reptilians. Related Tucker Smallwood, " Ultimately, it's not that different from naturalistic scenes, more often than not; on close shots, we're looking at a mark, rather than into the characters eyes. It's important to have an image in your mind's eye of the being to whom you're speaking. " [7]

Despite Xindi having appeared in multiple previous episodes, the final draft scripts for Star Trek: Enterprise didn't identify any of the Xindi-playing performers until the advent of " Azati Prime ". The final draft of that episode's teleplay described "a Xindi-Humanoid (Tucker Smallwood), an Arboreal (Rick Worthy) and a Reptilian commander (Scott MacDonald)." The same performers were also cited in the final draft script of follow-up installment " Damage ", whereas the final draft script of " E² " cited Worthy and Smallwood as appearing in that episode. The final draft scripts of " The Council " and " Countdown " named both of those actors as well as MacDonald.

Tucker Smallwood, Scott MacDonald, Randy Oglesby and Rick Worthy became so used to seeing one another in their Xindi makeup that, upon meeting years after portraying their respective Xindi characters, they hardly recognized one another at first. [8]

Reception [ ]

Early reactions to the Xindi among the writing staff of Star Trek: Enterprise were highly positive. Chris Black reflected, " This idea that there were five sentient species who shared one planet [...] we all felt, at the time, sounded really cool [...] It satisfied, in a lot of ways, what people wanted to see, which was something new, a new alien race or races. " (" Countdown " audio commentary , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)

Rick Berman and Brannon Braga were highly proud of how the Xindi turned out. Braga remarked, " The whole Xindi species concept was really cool. That's a science fiction concept I'd never seen before. You had insects and aquatics with intelligence and culture. I thought that was a fascinating idea. " [9] He further commented, " The five-specied Xindi is an interesting science-fiction concept that I think really worked out well. Each species was featured at some point along the way. They had internal strife. They're betrayed just like... They betray each other. It's like a Shakespeare play or something, backstabbing and all sorts of stuff going on. " ("The Xindi Saga Begins", ENT Season 3 DVD special features) This duplicitous aspect of the Xindi's interrelationships was one of the group's many facets that Braga liked. " By the end the Xindi were a complicated, interesting and visually stimulating species, " he opined. " I liked the way we gave each of the Xindi species its day in the sun, and even a sixth, extinct species got explored in a way. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 117 , p. 62) Shortly after Berman viewed the first completed shots of the Aquatics and Insectoids, he enthused of the footage, " It's far more than I expected. Considering the budget that is available to us, it's just spectacular stuff. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 110 , p. 15) He later raved about the various Xindi species, " I think they all look great. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 147 , p. 16)

Consulting Producer David A. Goodman believed the three Xindi species which were portrayed using make-up were examples of extraordinary and "really remarkable" artistry by Michael Westmore. Director David Livingston agreed, " They were real. " (" Impulse " audio commentary , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features) Goodman elaborated, " I think that it's interesting because, from a science fiction point of view, the idea of this one planet that had all these five different species who grew up into or evolved into intelligent species is a really cool idea but it's like the limits of science fiction [and CGI] on television [....] On the one hand, [the way the Xindi turned out was] kind of building on an audience's familiarity with these types of aliens. On the other hand, if you wandered into the show, for the first time, you'd be so confused [...] But it was sort of building on fans' comfortableness with these concepts. " (" The Forgotten " audio commentary , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features) Goodman had another criticism about the Xindi. " I had a big bump on the fact that they, the Xindi, just didn't blow the ship [i.e. Enterprise ] up. I felt like that was [obvious], " he laughed. ( In a Time of War, Part One: Call to Arms , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features) Goodman specifically criticized what he believed were inconsistencies in the Xindi's powers, such as being able to time travel in " Carpenter Street " but being unable to destroy Enterprise . (" The Forgotten " audio commentary , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)

Chris Black believed that, in theory, the concept of introducing a race comprised of multiple species was one of numerous facets of the Xindi arc which sounded "great," though he had problems with the execution of the arc generally. ( In a Time of War, Part One: Call to Arms , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features) He remarked, " Love or hate the Xindi mythology and arc, there was some pretty nice makeup on those guys [...] The fact that they refer to each other by their species designation [...] – that they don't have names or self-identify in some way, that they just refer to each other as 'Humanoids' or 'Reptilians' or 'Insectoids' – is a little weird but maybe that's just the universal translator . " Executive Story Editor André Bormanis concurred with these statements. He said about the Xindi make-up, " That was pretty incredible, " and, after laughing at Black's observation regarding how the Xindi address one another, he admitted that these oddities "could be" due to the universal translator being faulty. Bormanis also liked the fact the Xindi involved five intelligent species, of which he said, " I always thought [it] was a very cool idea. " (" Countdown " audio commentary , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features) He also pointed out that this example of an alien race is more akin to the variety of intelligent lifeforms on Earth than the idea of each planet having merely one technological, intelligent species. ( In a Time of War, Part Three: Final Conflict , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)

However, some writing staffers have voiced suggestions as to how the Xindi could have been portrayed differently. David A. Goodman thought they should have featured more visual effects than they actually did. He opined, " The better thing to do would have been to have, you know, you can't of course do it, but rather than four guys in prosthetics is one guy in prosthetics and three CGI guys. " (" The Forgotten " audio commentary , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features) Mike Sussman was frustrated that the Xindi were used in the way they were, preferring the Romulans to have been used instead. " No offense to the Xindi, wonderful people, they're not Romulans, " Sussman critiqued, with a chuckle. ( In a Time of War, Part One: Call to Arms , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)

Those who approved of the Xindi included visual effects artists. Character Animator Sean Scott referred to the Xindi as having been "an exciting addition" to the series. [10] (X) John Eaves remarked, " The Xindi were a very fun race to draw for. " [11] Dan Curry was pleased with how realistic the CG Xindi turned out. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 149 , p. 50)

Even several actors thought highly of the Xindi. At one time, Archer actor Scott Bakula remarked positively about the Aquatics, Reptilians, and Arboreals. He went on to say, " There's something wonderfully complex about the whole Xindi situation and the various species and their own in-fighting racial issues, that [...] is relevant and makes for great storytelling. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 113 , p. 7) Jannar actor Rick Worthy loved the Xindi. ( Star Trek Magazine Special 2016 , p. 109) He commented, " I loved that the Xindi all looked different [....] The Xindi were a great nemesis for Star Trek: Enterprise." [12] Worthy further explained that "what [he] found interesting" about the Xindi was that, whereas the Arboreals were established as having a fear of water, other Xindi resided in water, and yet others lived on the ground, even though they all belonged to the same race. [13] Trip actor Connor Trinneer opined that the Xindi were "clearly a [...] not too veiled reference to terrorists." ( In a Time of War, Part Two: Front Lines , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features) Phlox actor John Billingsley highly approved of the Xindi in concept but didn't think they, particularly the Insectoids, were made to look scary enough, due to how limited Star Trek: Enterprise 's budgets were. " For me, that was the problem with the Xindi arc, was, you know, was the Xindi, " he laughed. " I like the actors. It's not no slam on the actors. " ( In a Time of War, Part Three: Final Conflict , ENT Season 3 Blu-ray special features)

Despite proving relatively popular, the Xindi were – following their many appearances in the third season – intentionally excluded from appearing as regularly, thereafter. Between the airing of the third and fourth seasons , Brannon Braga declared, " At this particular instant, I never want to see another Xindi again. That's not to say they might not make a return. They're certainly a fun species to deal with. But at this point, I have to believe people will have had their fill. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 151 , p. 35)

Apocrypha [ ]

While the Xindi have not appeared explicitly in the novels, the novel Armageddon's Arrow features the crew of the Enterprise -E comparing their current situation to the Xindi attack, as both feature an alien race attempting a pre-emptive attack on another race (although the Enterprise -E crew are unaware of the time travel element of the Xindi crisis, despite rumours that time travel was involved).

In Star Trek Online , by the year 2410, the Xindi have been a long-time member of the Federation, though rarely seen in Federation space due to a long period of self-exile in the Delphic Expanse. Following the discovery of the Solanae Dyson Sphere in the Delta Quadrant and the revelation of Iconian manipulation of galactic events, the Xindi emerged from their exile and contributed ships and personnel to various Alpha and Beta Quadrant powers, including Starfleet, the Klingon Defense Force and the Romulan Republic.

External links [ ]

• Xindi at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 2 Star Trek: Prodigy
• 3 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)

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Who Is Naomi Wildman, Star Trek: Voyager’s Youngest Hero?

Why harry kim never got promoted on voyager, i think the acolyte episode 7 secretly reveals the show's true sith lord.

WARNING: Contains minor SPOILERS for Star Trek: Prodigy season 2!

• Star Trek: Prodigy, Picard, and Lower Decks have all brought back beloved Voyager characters, but some big names are still missing.
• Roxann Dawson hasn't returned as B'Elanna Torres, due to her focusing on her career as a director.
• Star Trek: Picard abandoned plans to bring back Voyager's Naomi Wildman and Harry Kim, but they could still appear elsewhere.

Despite multiple characters returning for Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Prodigy , there are still several Star Trek: Voyager stars who haven't made a comeback. On Netflix, Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 has reunited Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and the Doctor (Robert Picardo) for further adventures on the USS Voyager-A. Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) was a series regular on all three seasons of Star Trek: Picard , and she reunited with Captain Tuvok (Tim Russ) in season 3. Meanwhile, Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) paid a visit to the USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2.

While the Star Trek: Voyager cast have been well represented in the franchise's 21st century streaming era, some characters are conspicuous by their absence. Judging by various behind the scenes accounts by showrunners like Terry Matalas and the Hageman Brothers, there are a lot of conversations about which Star Trek shows can use which characters. Kevin and Dan Hageman discussed how negotiations with the Picard team led to them bringing back Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 . It's possible that these discussions, and finding the right storyline, are why some Voyager characters are yet to make a comeback.

6 Lt. B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson)

Torres helped design janeway's ship in star trek: prodigy season 1..

Lt. B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) is yet to return to Star Trek , despite the character still being an active Starfleet engineer. There's therefore plenty of scope for Torres to return, either in Star Trek: Lower Decks , or, more likely, Star Trek: Prodigy . The design and construction of Admiral Janeway's starship in Prodigy season 1, the USS Dauntless, was led by B'Elanna Torres, as confirmed in the first of a series of weekly logs released on Instagram and included below:

The only thing standing in the way of a B'Elanna Torres comeback is the willingness of actress Roxann Dawson. In a 2023 interview with SlashFilm , Dawson, who now works as a director, cast doubt on the idea of B'Elanna ever returning to Star Trek . Roxann Dawson was specifically being interviewed about her work as a director on AppleTV+'s Foundation , so her desire to " move on " could be referring to her turning down directing gigs on modern Star Trek . Read Roxann Dawson's thoughts on returning to Star Trek below:

"The current versions of 'Star Trek' I think are wonderful. I've seen 'Discovery,' I've seen 'Picard.' I think there's such wonderful and modern work being done there right now that we really can't categorize it in the way that we might have in the '90s. But no, I haven't really wanted to go back. I feel like I've been there and I've done that, and I love moving on to other things. So that's where I am at with it."

5 Naomi Wildman (Scarlett Pomers)

Could voyager's youngest crew member join the cast of prodigy.

Naomi Wildman (Scarlett Pomers) grew up aboard the USS Voyager, making her an ideal fit for a role in Star Trek: Prodigy . Having learned from the likes of Seven of Nine, the Doctor, and Chakotay, Wildman would surely have no problem becoming a Starfleet Academy cadet . Prodigy season 2 was set seven years after the USS Voyager returned to Earth, meaning that Naomi Wildman is probably a Starfleet officer, likely helping Starfleet with their response to the Attack on Mars.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 originally featured a reunion between Naomi Wildman and Seven of Nine, but it was cut for time.

It's entirely possible, therefore, that Naomi Wildman could cross paths with Dal R'El (Brett Gray) and the crew of the USS Prodigy in Star Trek: Prodigy season 3. As students of Janeway, Wildman and the Prodigy crew would have a lot in common, making them a great team. Given that Star Trek: Prodigy is all about establishing the next generation of Starfleet officer, the inclusion of Naomi Wildman in a future episode would be a fitting nod to Star Trek: Voyager 's original child prodigy.

As the youngest member of the USS Voyager's crew, Seven of Nine's friend Naomi Wildman continued a Star Trek tradition.

4 Neelix (Ethan Phillips)

Voyager's talaxian chef is overdue a proper return..

Neelix (Ethan Phillips) made a cameo in the irreverent Star Trek: Very Short Treks , but its canonicity is dubious at best. Therefore, the Talaxian chef could still make a more substantial comeback in a future episode of Star Trek . While the prospect of the heavy alien prosthetics may not be appealing to Ethan Phillips 23 years after Star Trek: Voyager ended , he could voice the character. Star Trek: Lower Decks feels like the natural fit for Neelix's chaotic energy, and would allow Phillips to return to the role without make-up.

The only issue would be finding a way to get either the USS Cerritos to the Delta Quadrant, or Neelix to the Alpha Quadrant. While Starfleet is able to travel there via Quantum Slipstream and Protostar drives in Star Trek: Prodigy , that technology is yet to appear in Lower Decks . Therefore, another possibility for a Neelix return would involve him coming into contact with the USS Prodigy, or perhaps even visiting Earth as the Federation's Talaxian Ambassador.

3 Vorik (Alexander Enberg)

Voyager's other vulcan could confirm his tng link..

Ensign Vorik (Alexander Enberg) made several appearances in Star Trek: Voyager , including his memorable Pon farr episode, "Blood Fever". Technically, Vorik has already returned to Star Trek , as his name was listed as the chief engineer of the USS Dauntless in Star Trek: Prodigy season 1, episode 19, "Supernova". However, the character never appeared on-screen, leaving the door open for Alexander Enberg to make a proper return in Prodigy season 3, or elsewhere in the Star Trek universe.

Given that Taurik was one of the original Lower Deckers that inspired Mike McMahan's Star Trek: Lower Decks , it feels like the appropriate show to deliver a Taurik and Vorik reunion.

The return of Vorik could also confirm his connection to Alexander Enberg's TNG character , Ensign Taurik. Star Trek: Voyager showrunner Jeri Taylor suggested that Enberg's two Vulcan characters were twins , meaning that Alexander Enberg could play both Vorik and Taurik. Given that Taurik was one of the original Lower Deckers that inspired Mike McMahan's Star Trek: Lower Decks , it feels like the appropriate show to deliver a Taurik and Vorik reunion. Especially as Lower Decks season 5 will be its last one, making an appearance by the OG Lower Deckers a fitting send-off.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

*Availability in US

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"Star Trek: Lower Decks" focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the USS Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi must keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. The ship's bridge crew includes Captain Carol Freeman, Commander Jack Ransom, Lieutenant Shaxs and Doctor T'Ana. This is the second animated spin-off in the franchise after 1973-74's "Star Trek: The Animated Series," but has a decidedly more adult tone and humor.

2 Q Jr. (Keegan de Lancie)

Q's son could test the prodigy crew..

The potential of a younger, teenage tearaway Q was never fully realized in Star Trek: Voyager season 7, episode 19, "Q2". Therefore, Keegan de Lancie should get a second shot at playing Q Junior in Star Trek , even though the actor is no longer a teenager. Star Trek: Prodigy feels like the perfect place to bring back the son of Q (John de Lancie), as he might find a perfect nemesis in Dal R'El. Dal and Q Jr. could provide a fresh spin on the classic dynamic between Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Keegan de Lancie is the son of Q actor, John de Lancie. He is now serving as a US Foreign Service Officer.

It's also worth remembering that Admiral Janeway is Q Junior's godmother , making a family reunion long overdue. Star Trek recently brought back Q Junior in the acclaimed Sons of Star Trek miniseries, which demonstrated the character's potential, and his kinship with the franchise's younger characters like Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) and Nog (Aron Eisenberg). With all that in mind, Q Junior would be the perfect character to test the crew of the USS Protostar in Star Trek: Prodigy season 3 . However, Keegan de Lancie's work with the US Foreign Service may make such a return difficult.

1 Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang)

Voyager's eternal ensign deserves his promotion..

Garrett Wang missed out on his Star Trek: Picard season 3 cameo as Captain Harry Kim, but is yet to appear elsewhere. As the USS Voyager's eternal ensign, Harry Kim was never promoted in the entire seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager . While Garrett Wang has come to embrace his " Eternal Ensign " moniker in later years, it still feels like a massive oversight not to bring the character back in modern Star Trek . Star Trek: Prodigy felt like the perfect place for Harry Kim to show up as Janeway's new Number One on the USS Dauntless or the Voyager-A, and yet he's still not returned.

Star Trek: Voyager’s Harry Kim remained a lowly ensign over the show’s entire seven-year run, much to the frustration of Kim’s actor Garret Wang.

Should Netflix renew Star Trek: Prodigy for a third season, Harry Kim feels like the most obvious character to bring back. Garrett Wang is clearly willing to return to the character, given his disappointment at his Star Trek: Picard cameo being cut. By bringing back Harry Kim as a Lieutenant, Commander, or even a Captain, Garrett Wang could finally shake off his legacy as Star Trek: Voyager 's " Eternal Ensign " and push the character into exciting new territory.

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.

Everything We Know About 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy'

It's time to hit the books and learn more about this 32nd century-set cadet drama.

• Release date

STARFLEET ACADEMY TRAILERS

• Director, writers, & crew

" Star Trek: Discovery " has finally ended its groundbreaking run after five seasons to usher in the streaming age of Gene Roddenberry's baby, and the third outing of " Star Trek: Strange New Worlds " won't land until sometime in 2025, perhaps before the first "Star Trek" streaming film and its black-ops division arrives for " Section 31 ." 

Keeping the creative energies burning, the next high-flying "Star Trek" project fueling up for a probable release in 2026 from the iconic sci-fi fantasy franchise will be "Starfleet Academy." This young adult-aimed series set in the San Francisco begins filming soon in Canada and fan anticipation is already ramping up to find out exactly what executive producer and showrunner Alex Kurtzman has planned for us Trekkies.  

Before the bell rings, let's warp into everything we know about "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" and its newest class of promising candidates that will someday join the Federation as part of its intrepid peacekeeping armada to reignite the spirit of intergalactic discovery. Take your seat and let's dive straight in!

STARFLEET ACADEMY RELEASE DATE

Cameras for "Starfleet Academy" are due to start rolling late this summer at Pinewood Studios Toronto for a planned six-month shoot. The production is destined to showcase the most enormous set ever created for any "Star Trek" show. 

Its design will incorporate a central two-story academic atrium, an elaborate amphitheater, classrooms for the brightest astrophysics mind, a huge mess hall, and pedestrian walkway flanked by trees. After a normal 6-8 months of post-production, "Starfleet Academy" probably won't arrive on Paramount+ until 2026 sometime.

Paramount+ Essential (ads): $5.99 /mo Paramount+ with SHOWTIME (no ads): $11.99 /mo

When it does release, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will almost certainly be available to watch on Paramount+. You can also watch almost every other Star Trek show and movie on there too though, while you wait.

STARFLEET ACADEMY PLOT

"Starfleet Academy" takes place mainly in San Francisco of the 32nd century at the end of a period known as The Burn, when nearly all of the galaxy's precious supply of dilithium, a material which is required for warp drives, had been rendered inert. 

In " Star Trek: Discovery" Season 3 , Michael Burnham and her crew swept in to aid in stopping the crystal crisis, heralding a new era of cosmic exploration. This end to the severe restrictions of faster-than-light space travel results in a fresh beginning for both the Federation and Starfleet.

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This series will explore the academic incubator for this next generation of starship captains, commanders, pilots, navigators, science officers, and engineers in a higher education environment that will delve into themes of friendship, romance, peer pressure, rivalries and enlightenment as they strive to make the grade under the watchful guidance of their professors and instructors.

"My thinking was, if we set "Starfleet Academy" in the halcyon days of the Federation where everything was fine, it's not going to speak to what kids are going through right now," Kurtzman explained in a May 30, 2024 interview with the LA Times .

"It'll be a nice fantasy, but it's not really going to be authentic. What'll be authentic is to set it in the timeline where this is the first class back after over 100 years, and they are coming into a world that is only beginning to recover from a cataclysm — which was the Burn, as established on "Star Trek: Discovery," where the Federation was greatly diminished. So they’re the first who’ll inherit, who’ll re-inherit, the task of exploration as a primary goal, because there just wasn’t room for that during the Burn — everybody was playing defense. It's an incredibly optimistic show, an incredibly fun show; it's a very funny show, and it's a very emotional show. I think these kids, in different ways, are going to represent what a lot of kids are feeling now.”

STARFLEET ACADEMY SEASON 1 EPISODES

Starfleet Academy follows the same 10-episode format of other Paramount+ Star Trek series. Beyond that, we don't know much at this point as we're still very early in the show's development.

STARFLEET ACADEMY CAST

Since pre-production is still underway on "Starfleet Academy" there are numerous casting announcements popping up from time to time. 

The most prominent of those picks is word that the Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter ("The Piano") will portray the "captain and chancellor" of "Starfleet Academy" who oversees the institution's faculty and class of bright-eyed hopefuls.

Recently, news broke that distinguished actor Paul Giamatti ("John Adams," "The Illusionist") has been signed in the ongoing role of the premiere season's big baddie, described as "a man with an ominous past connected to one of our cadets."

And just this week, Paramount+ announced that Kerrice Brooks ("My Old Ass"), Bella Shepard ("Wolf Pack") and George Hawkins ("Tell Me Everything") have joined the cast as newly recruited "Starfleet Academy" cadets.

At this time, since filming won't start until Aug. 2024, there are no teasers or trailers. We'll keep you updated when the first trailer drops.

STARFLEET ACADEMY DIRECTOR, WRITERS, AND CREW

Longtime "Star Trek" ringmaster Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau ("Nancy Drew") will act as executive producers and share showrunning duties for "Starfleet Academy." CBS Studios is in charge of production in collaboration with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment, while Paramount Global Content Distribution maintains the series' distribution.

Additional executive producers include Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa, and John Weber. Kurtzman is also signed on to direct the first two episodes, and Jonathan Frakes is rumored to direct as well. Gaia Violo wrote the series premiere episode.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

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• Trivia Almost everyone in the cast became life-long friends. At LeVar Burton 's 1992 wedding, Brent Spiner served as best man, and Sir Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , and Michael Dorn all served as ushers. Man of the People (1992) (#6.3) aired on that day.
• Goofs It is claimed that Data can't use contractions (Can't, Isn't, Don't, etc) yet there are several instances throughout the series where he does. One of the first such examples is heard in Encounter at Farpoint (1987) , where Data uses the word "Can't" while the Enterprise is being chased by Q's "ship".

[repeated line]

Capt. Picard : Engage!

• Crazy credits The model of the Enterprise used in the opening credits is so detailed, a tiny figure can be seen walking past a window just before the vessel jumps to warp speed.
• Alternate versions The first and last episodes were originally broadcast as two-hour TV movies, and were later re-edited into two one-hour episodes each. Both edits involved removing some scenes from each episode.
• Connections Edited into Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show (1988)

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A Tribute to Our Favorite Minor Star Trek Characters

| September 12, 2016 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 37 comments so far

Character: Mirasta Yale Series: TNG Episode: “First Contact”

How would I react to a first contact situation? I hope with as much bravery and heart as Mirasta Yale from the Star Trek The Next Generation episode “First Contact,” played by Carolyn Seymour.

Marista is the perfect embodiment of a real Star Trek fan; open minded, interested in the sciences and with an insatiable curiosity to explore. When I got older I also recognized she was a smart, strong and independent female character, something we didn’t always get so nicely realized in early 90’s.

When a first contact assignment goes south, Riker is injured and stuck in a medical facility. Mirasta, the head of Malcor III’s fledgling warp program, is the liaison to the Enterprise to try and get him back. It’s a real joy to watch her revel in Data being an android, seeing her planet from space and the special emphasis she puts on the world beam, when beaming back down to the planet. When her planet’s leader decides not to pursue relations with the Federation, she seizes the chance to visit the stars, even though it meant leaving everything she’d ever known behind.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard: I have to believe that you cannot be fully prepared for the realities of space travel.

Mirasta Yale: I have been prepared for the realities of space travel since I was nine years old and sitting in a planetarium!

…What Trek fan hasn’t felt that?

Character: Captain Styles Movie: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Bravado, arrogance, supreme self-confidence, and unmitigated gall. If I were to ask you which Starfleet Captain comes to mind using only those adjectives, you are likely to arrive at one name: Captain Styles. Wonderfully portrayed by James Sikking, Styles became the Captain we all loved to hate when he shared his first scene with Captain Scott, who had been assigned to the Excelsior’s engineering team, by insulting Scotty, and our beloved Enterprise, as he looked forward to breaking some of the Enterprise’s speed records the next day.

His bravado was on full-display in his second scene, where Captain Styles is seen filing his nails in his quarters when he is alerted that the Excelsior has gone to yellow alert because someone is stealing the Enterprise. Here is a man that knows he has the cushiest assignment in all of Starfleet: he has been chosen to Captain the fleet’s most advanced vessel during trial runs to test its experimental transwarp drive. Unlike other captains, he can afford to relax in his quarters and ensure his nails are properly manicured.

However, when Styles bursts into action to stop the Enterprise from escaping, he grabs his swagger stick. Many Americans associate the swagger stick with General George S. Patton, a man for which his authority was well-deserved. As Captain Styles came to the bridge, he displayed not the slightest degree of alarm at the escaping Enterprise. Instead, he marveled at the great experiment, famously remarking “incredible machine” as his first officer informed him that all speeds were available through transwarp drive.

His most memorable line, however, was his attempt at a prophetic declaration as he hailed the Enterprise: “Kirk…if you do this, you’ll never sit in the Captain’s chair again.” Captain Styles was wrong, as the Captain’s chair was exactly where Kirk ended up. Our lasting impression of Styles are his looks of bewilderment as the Excelsior putters to a halt, its transwarp drive having been sabotaged. In a matter of seconds, the Captain with the best assignment in Starfleet became nothing more than a paltry man.

One has to wonder what became of the poor Captain Styles, especially his swagger stick.

Character: Annorax Trek series: VOY Episodes: “Year of Hell” parts 1&2

I’m here to focus on a villainous minor character! Kurtwood Smith’s portrayal of Annorax, captain of the Krenim Imperium’s temporal weapon ship. When Voyager comes upon Annorax, he is once again destroying an entire species so as to eliminate them from time in the hope of making his species dominant in the sector once again. Basically, this dude is running around making “temporal incursion” after “temporal incursion” and has been doing so for two hundred years. WHAT! Annorax had been a temporal scientist while his people battled with other races for dominance, and figured out how to eliminate elements (species, people, things, etc) from the timeline to alter history. His initial incursion worked really well but he accidentally wiped out the colony where his wife was living. Thus, he’s spent the last two hundred years trying to get her back. It is romantic yet insane. Thankfully, Janeway ended it all by crashing Voyager into the weapon ship and reset the timeline.

The best villains are those that are the most sympathetic to the audience, and Annorax caused entire civilizations to rise, fall, and become extinct all in the pursuit of getting back one person he loved. “Year of Hell” is also in excellent two-parter, and one that really stripped our heroes down to their raw emotions. It was so well written that producer Ron Moore wanted to keep Voyager in this state of peril and gritty realism, but Berman and Braga just wouldn’t let it fly. I’d like to think that Annorax and his relentless, single-minded pursuit led Ron Moore to give us yet another great sci-fi series – the reimagined Battlestar Galactica .

Character: Hugh of Borg Series: TNG Episodes: “I, Borg”, “Descent” parts 1 & 2

“Resistance is not futile.”

The Borg were terrifying when we first saw them in “Q Who?” and even more so in “The Best of Both Worlds.” They were relentless, and merciless. They seemed irredeemable. And then came Hugh.

Hugh started out as comedic foil for Geordi. “You will be assimilated,” he told him. “Right,” said Geordi. “But before that happens, could we maybe ask you a few questions?” But Hugh slowly went from being Geordi’s straight man to something we’d never seen from the Borg: a being with a personality, capable of individual thought. On a large scale, he made us realize that there was some humanity under all that technology, and on a small one, we watched him evolve from a mindless automaton into a lost soul. He was young. He was alone. And when he learned that there were people like Beverly and Geordi, his whole world opened up. As his transformation took place, he had a profound effect on both Guinan and Picard, changing the very foundation of their beliefs about the Borg. He told Guinan she was lonely; he told Picard that Geordi was his friend. He gave the equivalent of a Borg wink when he said farewell to Geordi, and in “Descent,” he led a revolution. I would also dare say that without Hugh, there would have been no Seven of Nine.

Hugh achieved the impossible: he made the Borg relatable, adding a new dimension to a single-minded villain and doing what Star Trek does best…revealing infinite diversity in infinite combinations.

Runners-up : Robin Lefler and Thomas Riker

Character: Kevin Riley Series: TOS Episodes: “The Naked Time”, “The Conscience of the King”

We first meet the plucky Lieutenant Kevin T. Riley (as played by Bruce Hyde) early in the first season of The Original Series, in the episode “The Naked Time”, where people act out in uninhibited ways. Riley is part of a group of buddies that includes Sulu and “poor Joe” Tormolen. Riley seems a reasonably likable fellow and a good part of the ensemble of the junior ranked staff that we encounter on the ship. Of course by the end of episode Riley has re-discovered his Irish ancestry and we find “Captain” Kevin Riley caterwauling “I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen” while he’s jammed the controls in the engine room and the Enterprise is circling downwards into the frozen planet below.

Thankfully, the second time we meet Mr. Riley in “The Conscience of the King”, we learn a bit more about him and find out he has ties to Captain Kirk’s past, which immediately makes him more interesting. Riley and Kirk were both on Tarsus IV when Governor Kodos had 4,000 of the 8,000 colonist killed so the other ½ may live due to diminished food supplies. Riley’s parents were among the group murdered. Kirk moves our friendly little Lt. Riley down the bowels of engineering on a swing shift, which is supposed to keep him out of harm’s way (this is odd logic, since this puts him alone in a remote part of the ship). So naturally while being sad about being shoved off the bridge and put below decks he’s poisoned and almost dies. Dr. McCoy pulls him through, unlike so many other future minor characters to come, he doesn’t get killed. However, like many of the future minor characters, he’s never seen again.

Character: Crewman Muñiz Series: DS9 Episodes: “Starship Down”, “Hard Time”, “The Ship”

Enrique Muñiz was very junior member of the engineering team, but it was clear that he was a respected and loved member of the crew. His largest and most memorable appearance is in “The Ship”. In the episode, O’Brien and Muñiz are always bantering and teasing each other, more friends than coworkers. When Muñiz is injured by the Jem’Hadar, it is Miles who attends to him. Even as his condition deteriorates, he and Miles continue to tease each other and downplay the seriousness of his injury, each trying to keep the other’s hope and spirits up. After many hours of assault by the Jem’Hadar, he goes into shock, calling Miles “Papa” and deliriously seeing beautiful fireworks whenever another shell explodes outside the ship. He smiles and begins speaking Spanish. Miles plays along for his friend’s sake.

When the crew’s attempt to get the crashed warship flying fails, Miles turns to and tells him they could use his help, only to realize that the engineer has died. The crew takes it hard, and Sisko resolves to get the ship back to DS9 so the families of the five killed crewmembers families won’t feel that their loved ones died for nothing. Kilana’s words to Sisko seem to touch him deeply: “Duty? Starfleet, the Federation? You must be pleased with yourself. You have the ship to take back to them. I hope it was worth it.”

Back on the station Sisko reflects on this. He shares personal memories of Muniz with Dax and has remorse over the loss of 5 lives. Meanwhile Miles is holding vigil over his friend’s casket and Worf tells him he is performing the Klingon ak’voh, protecting his friend until his soul will exit the body and enter Sto-vo-kor. He offers to help O’Brien protect Muñiz, to which the chief responds, “I’m sure Quique would have liked that.”

Character: Helen Noel Series: TOS Episode: “Dagger of the Mind”

“Find me someone with psychiatric and penology experience.”

Why Helen Noel? She is the very first smart, strong and independent female character I had ever seen portrayed on screen. During the episode, she is not afraid to speak her mind, defend her ideas and even get her hands dirty. She is not defined by her gender, but by her abilities in her field as a doctor and Starfleet officer. She is instrumental in their escape from the penal colony, and despite being overwhelmed physically, never stops fighting. How can I not be impressed by Helen Noel?

“You tell McCoy she better check out as the best assistant I ever had.”

She has several strong moments during the episode, none more fun than when she first appears. Taking advantage of her history, she puts Kirk in an uncomfortable position, and enjoys that she has that power with her knowing smile as she keeps moving her eyes in his direction while on the transporter pad. Also, you can tell professionally how she grows concerned when she makes Kirk think he’s hungry. She then offers an unusual suggestion to verify the machine’s influence on Kirk. While it could be seen as a stereotypical moment, as a doctor she places a strong suggestion to ensure Kirk was really being influenced by the beam.

“Yes, Captain, I know my profession”

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I agree with everything you say about Helen Noel. She was beautiful. Very enticing to a young viewer.

If we’re talking characters on the periphery that never got explored,….I always though Dr. M’Binga, who interned on a Vulcan ward, was a very interesting side character I always thought more of.

Yes, I would have loved to have learned more about M’Benga! How and why did he do his internship on Vulcan? Was this common in the TOS era, or was M’Benga one of only a few who did this? Did he have personal reasons for choosing Vulcan?

Agreed about your thoughts on Dr. Helen Noel, Andy P.. But the writer in the article who chose her seems to go out of the way not to even mention what one can’t miss about her appeal; the fact that she is drop dead gorgeous, with classically beautiful features and a body that fills out the starfleet miniskirt-style officers’ uniform and boots like pretty much no other woman in the 23d century (at least until we meet Alice Eve’s young Lt. Carol Marcus in ST ID whose sheer camera presence is wonderful and breath-taking, something which she makes use of in her strong, underrated performance). I don’t mean to sound “sexist” (everything else the writer mentions about Helen Noel is dead on; though the details of the half-memory, half-sexual fantasy she impresses on his mind when testing the Tantalus mind-machine isn’t touched upon and is, in fact, part “stereotype” but also telling of her inner life), but contemporary thinking aside, Star Trek originally joyfully embraced and idolized women’s sexuality and physicality as well as being one of the few legitimately groundbreaking series of the late 1960s in terms of all manner of integration in the “workplace,” even the military, as well as placing women in roles of properly reespected experts and leaders. Dr. Helen Noel, it should be mentioned, is played by actress Marianna Hill (who, I believe, is still with us), and among her many other credits is genuine classic film, The Godfather, Part II, in which she played Fredo’s boozy cheating showgirl-wife.

Never understood the purpose of the swagger stick but it certainly conveys a “heel-ish” demeanor. Did you know Patton’s concealed a blade? I liked Styles too and what I liked was he was a Captain who, with very little revealed, conveyed an image of an experienced and capable commander…even if we didnt much like him.

Loved Hugh, one of my favourite episodes.

Oh, “swagger stick”, that’s what is called!? And I have always wondered what that thing even is! (My personal theory was that it’s some kind of horse whip minus the whip part…)

Re:swagger stick

“Swagger stick” is just a euphemism to avoid the Vulcans and other animal rights advocates vocal disdain for the crop, i.e. whip, that it is. More specifically a riding crop, i.e. horsewhip, used mostly in hunts to spur the steed on.

After having just rewatched DS9, Muñiz is my favorite. His character tie into the story of “The Ship” was impactful and makes me think about trust and family. One of the many reasons why I love Star Trek!

I for one think it wouldn’t have been the worst idea for the new Star Trek series to have been shortly post-TNG era and starring Ashley Judd as Captain Robin Leffler of the Enterprise-E or -F.

I’ve said elsewhere that if they make another Kelvin-timeline movie and don’t recast Chekov, they should bring in Kevin Riley.

Another one of my favorite minor characters is Naomi Wildman of VOY, probably the best child character in Trekdom.

Naomi? Oh, God. I absolutely hated that character. But to each their own!

ronny cox as capt jellico. he really shook things up and did troi a favour by putting her back in uniform.

ds9’s eddington. got under sisko’s skin as much as ducat.

Wait where’s the Gorn?

Sorry no Gorn, it was originally going to be in the list, but the staff member who was going to write up the Gorn wasn’t able to contribute and asked to drop it.

Good choices. Have to add Joseph Ruskin as Galt, the head thrall in TOS “Gamesters of Triskelion.” With only a few lines and his black robe, he made a big impression.

Gotta give a shout-out to Jojo Krako! After all, Oxmyx didn’t offer us beans, but Krako always was a reasonable man, even when he was mad enough to chew neutronium!

I always thought Vic Tayback absolutely stole that episode.

I don’t know if she’s “minor” enough, but I would nominate Naomi Wildman. What could have been an annoying child addition to an “aged” show was instead a great character who had engaging relationships with Seven, Neelix, and Capt. Janeway.

I think we have a set number of episodes that a character could’ve appeared in and still be considered minor and she passed that number. But, we definitely talked about her!

Yes, it had to be under 5 episodes!

If it weren’t for Kevin Reilly & Helen Noel, I’d have thought for a minute this was a list of most annoying characters…

Janice Rand all the way. She should be on this list.

She was more of a semi-regular than a recurring character like Hugh or Riley. She was intended to be a regular like Scotty, Uhura and Sulu, but, it didn’t work out that way for various reasons.

What about Reg Barkley? Even those of us who are less than perfect can contribute.

– Harry

How about Gary Mitchell?

One of my favourite minor characters is Mortimer Harren from ‘Good Shepherd’. I liked that he was a brilliant cosmologist who was relegated to a lonely, menial job on a starship stranded halfway across the galaxy. It gives us an otherwise unnoticed glimpse into the tragedy of the ordinary crewmembers on Voyager.

It’s a maligned episode but Dr. Sevrin before he was dismissed from his university post had to have been interesting.

I’d also like to know about Ayelborne, Claymare & Trefane from “Errand of Mercy”.

Jeffrey combs as shran and weyoun.

‘now you owe me one, pink skin!’

My vote goes to my personal favorite, Captain Ransom of the USS Equinox. He was a great contrast to the uptight Captain Janeway.

Another good one is the legendary Commodore Decker of the USS Constellation (or was it Constitution?)! The hero who destroyed the doomsday machine!

Oh yeah what about Ensign Ro Laren? LOL! Joking. No, I think Commander Tomolak deserves some recognition as a great nemesis. He should have been in Star Trek Nemesis, if only for a cameo at least.

Ro Laren and Naomi Wildman were my two first choices but they are in too many episodes! Decker was a great one. William Windom!

I’d have to go with Trelane. If Hugh counts as a “minor” character (having shown up in more than one episode of TNG), then Trelane certainly does (having shown up in only the one episode of TOS). I love the idea (put forth, among other places, by Peter David in the Trek novel “Q-Squared”) that Trelane was an adolescent Q.

Harcourt Fenton Mudd belongs here

It’s which characters we personally wanted to pay tribute to, not a comprehensive look at minor character :-)

admiral ross. he had a ‘pale moonlight’ moment when he sided with section 31 to protect a romulan asset. he didn’t lose sleep over it.

matt frewer in TNG’s ‘a matter of time’.

admiral nechayev.

hard as nails but I guess you had to be if you are handling affairs near cardassian space. but picard did get her to soften in the end.

canapés helped.

Whenever I watch “Star Trek III” and see Capt. Styles, I can’t help but think of James B. Sikking’s “Hill Street Blues” character, the gung-ho Lt. Howard Hunter.

ensign sonya gomez.

shame she never made it past season 2.

I liked her too! I thought they were adding a new semi-regular character when she first turned up.