When I first published my Tumblr this was a series of posts throughout December, but I’m posting them as a group here for reference. Also this was fun and I didn’t make all the dates. So I might try it on Twitter again another year! The full list of prompts is posted at the bottom of this post.
Star Trek Advent Calendar via @vulcankisseshuman – a few days late to the party but I love this idea even though I am in no way religious.
Day 3: Favourite Character – Kira Nerys
Kira is everything. I love her because we got to see her process trauma, get angry, make demands, take stands, kick ass, learn new things, pursue love, pursue sex, explore her faith, care for others, and admit when she was wrong.
Day 4 – Favourite Side Character: Guinan
It’s hard to say a lot about Guinan because we never learned a ton about her background, and yet she brought so much to the show. I love how she was on the side of the underdog, how she knew when to be serious and when to just have fun (the flirting scene in “The Dauphin,” anyone?). And most of all, how she was able to speak truth to power, as in “The Measure of a Man.” This scene, folks:
GUINAN: Well, consider that in the history of many worlds there have always been disposable creatures. They do the dirty work. They do the work that no one else wants to do because it’s too difficult, or to hazardous. And an army of Datas, all disposable, you don’t have to think about their welfare, you don’t think about how they feel. Whole generations of disposable people.
PICARD: You’re talking about slavery.
GUINAN: I think that’s a little harsh.
PICARD: I don’t think that’s a little harsh. I think that’s the truth. But that’s a truth we have obscured behind a comfortable, easy euphemism. Property.
Day 5 – Favourite Villain: Kai Winn
I think there’s a strong case to be made that Winn is the best-crafted Trek villain of all time – certainly the best woman villain. She is motivated by a combination of religious fervour and personal ambition and the audience is invited to empathize with her just enough that we can question our own susceptibility to those ways of thinking.
She’s also not a one-note baddie. Sometimes she’s merely an annoyance to Sisko and/or Kira, armed with passive-aggressive remarks, while at other times she’s a serious threat, willing to kill in pursuit of her beliefs. There are even episodes where you can find good in her, like “In the Cards,” where she earnestly asks Sisko for his advice as Emissary, swallows her pride and takes it. And gets to tell off Weyoun, which is golden.
Plus Louise Fletcher nails every beat.
Day 6 – Favourite Crewmember: Uhura
All hail the Space Queen! To quote Nichelle Nichols: “Uhura represented womanhood and the breakthrough of cross-racial representation. She represented dignity and intelligence, and no one can take that away from her, or me.”
Day 7 – Favourite non-Starfleet character: Ishka
Ishka basically single-handedly launches the Ferengi feminist revolution, plus is adorable and hilarious. She speaks truth to power, but also knows when and how to game an imperfect system to her advantage.
Day 8 – Favourite Starfleet Track: Science/Medical
This was the hardest to pick but thinking about it, this track has Spock, Chapel, Troi and Crusher, Dax, and so many more awesome characters that I couldn’t not pick it. Even Janeway was on the science track before she decided to pursue command!
Day 9 – Favourite Uniform
I was a bit torn between the DS9/Voyager-era uniforms and the Enterprise flight suits but Enterprise wins because pockets! While I love the aesthetics of the TOS and movies-era uniforms, my decision is based on what would I actually want to wear in space, and especially on away missions – practical and comfortable all the way.
Day 12 – Most Missed Character who Disappears/Dies in an Episode or Movie
Jadzia Dax. I think that speaks for itself.
Day 16: Favourite promotional photo
I can’t pick just one! So here is my favourite one for each of the first four series.
I feel like both the TOS and DS9 ones show the promise that was there but never fully realized in terms of women’s roles. In TOS we never got to see Uhura have an equal role in the main team along with Kirk, Spock and McCoy, and we didn’t get to see quite enough of Kira and Dax as really close friends or teammates working together on missions. Part of the reason the pictures give me the warm fuzzies is they make me imagine the possibilities.
Day 17 – Favourite Star Trek Quote
“One voice can be stronger than a thousand voices.” – Captain Janeway to Seven of Nine in “The Gift”
Day 21 – Most Romantic Moment
Again, couldn’t pick just one. Here are my top three. I think what makes them each so powerful to me is the total honesty between partners, the vulnerability and risk of opening yourself up so fully to someone.
Day 23: Favourite novel/comic
Catching up from yesterday. I read a lot of the novels when I was a kid and at the time one of my favourites was Mosaic by Jeri Taylor, because I loved Captain Janeway so hard. I still love that book but now I find the reason I read the novels is because they often fulfill the wants I had for the women characters, the things that never happened on screen.
That’s why my first pick for favourite novel is Star Trek Titan: Taking Wing. This novel depicts Troi as she could’ve been in TNG: as an adept diplomat and valued mental health professional. Also it has two badass Romulan women.
Honourable mention for the Avatar two-parter as well. They’re an exceptional follow-up to the DS9 finale, with great plotting and characterization. All the characters get their due and it’s great to see what it would be like for Ro and Kira to work together.
For comics, the pool is a bit thin – there’s a lot of just awful Star Trek comics. But I’ll shout out the Parallel Lives gender-swap series. It’s not totally unproblematic but I think they did a great job showing there’s no reason a woman can’t be a kick-ass captain (or science officer or chief engineer). You can read my full review of the comics here.
Full List
Day 1 – Favorite episode (or scene from film)
Day 2 – favorite film
Day 3 – Favorite Character
Day 4 – Favorite side character
Day 5 – Favorite Villain
Day 6 – Favorite crewmember
Day 7 – favorite character who isn’t a member of starfleet
Day 8 – Favorite starfleet track
Day 9 – favorite uniform
Day 10 – Favorite location/planet
Day 11 – Most Beautiful Character
Day 12 – Most Missed Character who dies or disappears in movie/episode
Day 13 – Saddest Moment
Day 14 – Favorite star trek fanfiction
Day 15 – Favorite behind the scenes moment
Day 16 – Favorite promotional photo
Day 17 – favorite quote from star trek
Day 18 – favorite issue/concept discussed by characters
Day 19 – favorite spock (aos spock, tos spock, spock prime, kid spock)
Day 20 – Funniest Moment
Day 21 – Most romantic Moment
Day 22 – Favorite star trek technology
Day 23 – Favorite star trek novel/comic
Day 24 – Favorite species
Day 25 – Favorite star trek pairing
