MovieChat Forums > Star Trek: Voyager (1995) Discussion > Least likable alien species

Least likable alien species

posted 8 years ago by Zyschqual
35 replies | jump to latest

Which alien species was the least likable one to you?
For me, it was the Qomar, from the episode "Virtuoso" (the one where the Doctor introduces the concept of music to a culture that only cares for mathematics). They were thoroughly annoying, two-dimensional, incapable of empathy and probably the most arrogant people in all of Star Trek.
The outcome of the episode wasn't really a surprise - a painful lesson for the Doctor which he should have seen coming from a mile away (and everyone else did). It seems the writers decided to make him temporarily stupid. Or he was just blinded by his own arrogance, of which he has plenty (and HE can pull it off, because he's a great character played by an awesome actor, and he's very much capable of empathy).

If you're really looking for arrogance though, go for the Cardassians. They're the undisputed masters.

[–] Ohio9 8 years ago

The Kazon were just Klingon ripoffs. The only difference is that they were factionalized instead of part of a united empire.

By the time they were introduced, I was a bit tired of the generic evil races, like the Romulans and Cardassians.

[–] DSNFan 8 years ago

The Cardassians were never generic.

[–] Ohio9 8 years ago

Seemed pretty generic to me.

[–] martymcflyhasparkinsons 8 years ago

Initially, yes. But I feel like DS9 really expanded the Cardassians beyond just another generic evil race. But I completely agree about the Kazon. They were less-interesting Klingons. Looking back, it's amazing that the show survived the Kazon arc. I'm glad it did because the later seasons of Voyager was AWESOME. But the Kazon were weak characters.

[–] Ohio9 8 years ago

Did they really expand on the Cardassians that much? Ducat seemed to be a conflicted man with some good in him, but it turns out he was just a typical evil despot this whole time.

So far I'm up to season 6 and I've only found two Cardassian characters who have not been depicted as being 100% pure evil: Garrack and Ghemor. I suppose you could make it three by counting Ziyal, but she's only half Cardassian and she wasn't raised by Cardassians.

[–] martymcflyhasparkinsons 8 years ago

To me, Garek really opened the species up a lot. While through Dukat, they showed a familiar (yet arguably more militant) side of the Cardassian disposition. But through Garek, they showed you a different side of the Cardassians. It shows that they can be cultured and classy as well as conniving and vicious. Garek mentions how the art and music of Cardassia is unparalleled by any other race in the galaxy. This alone implies a whole wider range of Cardassia.

Give me a Pepsi Free.

[–] Ohio9 8 years ago

All true, but Garek is still just one man. The race as a whole felt pretty generically evil to me.

[–] martymcflyhasparkinsons 8 years ago

Dukat is also only one man. I can think of two other Cardassians in DS9 off the top of my head who completely redeemed themselves. The majority of the Cardassians seen on screen are military types on active warfronts. They don't really speak for the civilians in Cardassian society - neither does Garek, but he comes a lot closer. If you judged humanity by the actions and words of our military, we would be an evil race as well.

Give me a Pepsi Free.

[–] Ohio9 8 years ago

It's not just military, their whole judicial system is evil too. Remember the episode where O'Brien gets accused of a crime? Even his "defense attorney" tried to get him convicted.

Basically 95% percent of all Cardassians we ever see on screen are depicted as pure evil

Furthermore, even the one positive example you cite, Garek, isn't exactly a shining example of morality.

And no, not everyone in the real life military is totally okay with committing war crimes as the Cardassians are.

[–] mistiesd 8 years ago

Remember the episode where O'Brien gets accused of a crime? Even his "defense attorney" tried to get him convicted.

Just watched this episode a few days ago. I'v been binge watching so...if I recall correctly...the "defense attorney" wasn't actually there to defend him. The "trial" was more...ceremonial. A formality. At that point, O'Brien was already convicted and his execution was already scheduled. New evidence was not allowed as his "guilt" had already been determined.

[–] Ohio9 8 years ago

That was my point. In Cardassian courts it's impossible to get acquitted. The whole thing is a show. They aren't just corrupt, they are insurmountable. That's a trait of a generic evil race.

It would have been more interesting if the Cardassian courts were corrupt, but possible to navigate, the defense attorney was one of the few honest Cardassians who actually worked for justice.

[–] seldon913 8 years ago

Garek mentions how the art and music of Cardassia is unparalleled by any other race in the galaxy.

But that's an opinion. Those are things that are subject to individual taste. Ask three random humans about the greatest musical achievement and you could easily get one person saying Mozart, another saying the Beatles, and a third who favors some form of hip-hop.

[–] martymcflyhasparkinsons 8 years ago

The truth in that opinion is irrelevent. It DOES demonstrate a larger view of the Cardassians than we'd seen before. Whether or not Cardassia Prime is a planet full of artistic genius or a planet full of Nickelbacks, this kind of insight into the more creative aspects of Cardassian culture had never been demonstrated before, thus I am correct in saying that it expands the development of the Cardassians.

Give me a Pepsi Free.

[–] Kruleworld 8 years ago

The Kazon

i agree they were poor 1-dimensional bad-guys. they were a constant threat to Voyager but never seemed of any consequence. How can a race be so uninteresting that even the Borg are ambivalent to them?

"He's dusted, busted and disgusted, but he's ok"

[–] Zyschqual 8 years ago

Seven of Nine's comment that the Borg considered the Kazon "unworthy of assimilation" was a fitting end to their story ...

There was only one episode in the whole series where it was tried to give the Kazon more profile and some culture: "Initiations" (the one with Chakotay and the Kazon boy played by Aron Eisenberg). A good, solid episode, classic Next-Generation Star Trek, but not enough to salvage the Kazon. The rest of the time they were nothing more than generic villains. And not the brightest. How they managed to actually steal Voyager and maroon her crew on a prehistoric planet is a head scratcher.

The Romulans often seemed rather generic, but they were much more fleshed out in all of the series. Most of the time we get a sense of the oppressive mentality of their society. An analogy to the stalinistic totalitarian nations of our not-so-distant past?

The Cardassians were made by their actors. Marc Alaimo and Andrew Robinson - those two alone are reason enough to re-watch DS9.
Paul Dooley chillingly portrayed Enabran Tain as a harmless, benevolent grandfather-type professor, and ever so subtly shows that behind this facade he is absolutely cold-hearted and one of the most dangerous and powerful men of his time.

In the Voyager episode "Nothing Human", the holographic exobiologist shows all the classic traits that make the Cardassians such great villains: eloquence, deceptive friendliness, arrogance hiding behind feigned humility, a manipulative mind, and reptilian cold-bloodedness, excellently portrayed by actor David Clennon.

It's a matter of taste, of course, but to me the Cardassians are among the best "inventions" in the whole franchise.

The problem with Voyager was that they were constantly on the move and there was never really time to out-flesh any new species they encountered. Notable exceptions were the Hirogen (much more interesting than the Kazon) and the Borg.
All the other series had their antagonists appear regularly, with much more opportunity to become complex, interesting characters (the Klingons, the Cardassians, the Romulans, the Founders ...). Kudos to the writers of Voyager to come up with so many interesting stories despite this limitation.

[–] Mestter 8 years ago

I found every episode with the Kazon to be stupid and unwatchable.

[–] Elmer_Cat 8 years ago

The Initiations (1995) episode (s2 ep2) where Nog played the character of the Kazon boy, Kar, wasn't too bad. It told more of a story about their culture.

Actually, I wasn't sure if it was Aron Eisenberg playing Kar, or Aron Eisenberg playing Nog playing Kar. In either case, his performance definitely makes the episode worth watching!

[–] iatmt209 8 years ago

Agree x 10000000

I just literally can't.

[–] ih8tt 8 years ago

the Kazon. The rest of the time they were nothing more than generic villains. And not the brightest. How they managed to actually steal Voyager and maroon her crew on a prehistoric planet is a head scratcher.

(not sarcasm) considering your excellent analysis of the Cardassians (which I enjoyed & agreed with), I'm surprised you didn't note that perhaps the reason they were able to accomplish that feat, is that they were being co-led by a Cardassian, Seska :)

[–] Zyschqual 8 years ago

I'm surprised you didn't note that perhaps the reason they were able to accomplish that feat, is that they were being co-led by a Cardassian, Seska :)

You're right! They probably couldn't have accomplish ANYTHING without her help. But she underestimated their short-sightedness and stupidity. As Chakotay and Tuvok said, she "pulled the wool" over everyone's eyes, but the Kazon didn't even notice.
Seska was a great villain, left the series too soon.
So was Suder (the great Brad Dourif), who elevated the Season 2 finale to stellar levels.

[–] Elmer_Cat 8 years ago

For the Kazon, every day was a "bad hair day".

[–] ih8tt 8 years ago

am I the only one who thought their 'hair' looked like a wild head of lettuce? 

[–] Calaverasgrande 8 years ago

I tend to agree. I did not like DS9 when it started. But the Cardassians were what changed my mind. Then having Jeffrey Combs as the vorta? Brilliant. DS9 was certainly darker overall than most of the other Trek series.

As far as least likeable enemy, I really did not like the Kazon. They had an interesting look, but the characterization of them was never anything I cared about.
They remind me of the original Ferengi. With the whips?

[–] Painbow 8 years ago

Malon - space garbage men.

Whatever.

[–] Elmer_Cat 8 years ago

Nerys: What does he want with us?
Benjamin: Whatever it is, you can be sure we won't like it.

Of course, Kathy didn't like him either.

[–] ewaf58 8 years ago

The Kazon by a mile - generic - uninteresting - naff looking and totally pointless creatures. Boil them all in Nelix's pot.

[–] jcmiddel 8 years ago

That would be the Kazon or the Vidians!
Both were terrible villains and unlikeble.
Vidians were just grows and unwatchable even far more worse than Farscape.
And the Kazon are Klingons from the Delta quadrant.

[–] hoagiej 8 years ago

I thought the Vidiians were ok. The concept that their entire species had to change entirely because of one disease was fairly interesting. However, they were pretty one-dimensional, except for the Doctor's lil' quasi-holographic lover

[–] temlakos-1 8 years ago

If you want the least likeable species on Voyager, I'll go with the Borg. The most totalitarian of all the species Captain Janeway and her combined crew encountered. The Kazon are hardly worth mentioning--just as Seven of Nine reveals the Borg found the Kazon not worth bothering with.

Now if you want the least likeable species in all four quadrants of the galaxy, then I will select the Changelings, from whom Odo became the one-and-only defector. Of all the bone-chillingly tyrannical, totalitarian, and efficient dictators I have ever seen in history or in fiction, these are the worst. They set up a Dominion and create a race of rapidly maturing killing machines to police it, and even to spread their rule. Everything anyone ever said about Odo--or, for that matter, for Data--goes double, triple, and multiple for the Changelings. Of course, my review of DS9 has just begun. But I'd have to say that Odo's defection from his people, after only just discovering them, is the best tell-off of a dictatorial society I have ever seen.

[–] dai_grepher1051 8 years ago

The Trill. Nasty belly bugs that take over a person's consciousness. They were stupid from their introduction with Beverly's infatuation with the one guy, and his bug had to be transplanted into Riker. Then from Riker to some woman, which really ended Beverly's infatuation. Dumb storylines, dumb character, dumb race.

Jadzia Dax was also an awful, uninteresting character because of this.

There are worse races, but they are usually temporary, so it isn't worth mentioning them.

[–] mariakelly-04164 8 years ago

Kazons. If for no other reasons because of those brillo pads on the top of their heads.

Laugh while you can, Monkey Boy!

[–] DaytonaBob 8 years ago

Neelix

They who give up liberty to
obtain a temporary safety deserve
neither liberty or safety