Giving Miles O’Brien a traumatic origin story just seems overkill at this point
As a seasoned gamer and Star Trek enthusiast with decades of immersion into the vast universe of the Federation, I’ve seen it all – from the triumphant voyages of the Enterprise to the gritty day-to-day life on Deep Space Nine. But one character who has consistently stood out in my mind is Miles O’Brien. This poor Irishman has been through more tribulations than most Starfleet officers combined, and it’s high time he was given a break.
It seems that Miles O’Brien is frequently finding himself in the most distressing situations imaginable. He’s had to endure experiences that would normally span an entire lifetime within just a few hours. He’s been pursued across a space station by someone he considered a friend, infected with a dangerous bioagent, abducted, tormented, witnessed his doppelganger meet a tragic end, taken over by another entity, framed for crimes he didn’t commit, lost his daughter due to a temporal anomaly, and even been thrown through time himself, only to die and then return.
After all he’s experienced, it’s perfectly fine to pen a narrative depicting him and his spouse peacefully residing amidst nature, surrounded by a pack of little dogs. They find themselves pondering whether to venture into town for an evening meal or opt for a cozy night in, nestled by the warmth of their fire.
We don’t need to keep giving this man trauma. Yet, some among us still want to torment this man.
Although it has been more than 25 years since his last appearance in a new Star Trek episode, Michael O’Brien continues to endure hardships. While he was a main character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, his common trope was that of the most tormented crew member. Yes, other characters experienced difficult moments, and some may even have tales to tell that rival O’Brien’s, but it is widely acknowledged that no one has endured as much as the Irishman.
To such an extent that a recurring joke emerged about O’Brien enduring hardships, this became a source of amusement with witty asides, yet unfortunately, it resulted in making his character rather gloomy and sad.
One might assume that since the show has ended, some time has passed, and new writers are involved, people would finally stop bothering O’Brien. However, it seems IDW’s Star Trek comics are intentionally subjecting this character to more distress. From being falsely accused of war crimes to now experiencing an accidental execution, O’Brien’s suffering continues unnecessarily.
Indeed, you’ve understood correctly. In Star Trek: Defiant comic issue #20, it’s revealed that O’Brien unintentionally took a life during the Battle of Setlik III. While engaged in combat with a Cardassian soldier, he managed to grab his phaser, believing it was set to stun. However, unfortunately, he ended up shooting the Cardassian in the head.
Instead of setting it to stun, he opted to inflict harm, creating a gaping wound in the alien’s forehead instead of incapacitating him. Regrettably, this meant more pain for O’Brien yet again.
Instead of repeatedly subjecting O’Brien to these rather excessive bouts of emotional distress for amusement, wouldn’t it be refreshing to explore a different side of his character? Sure, we’ve all chuckled at the idea that he seems perpetually afflicted, but isn’t it time for him to step out of the norm and show us something unexpected? It’s become a bit of a cliche to write stories that defy conventions, but it’s never wrong to let characters break free from their typical roles. Particularly when they aren’t bound by the constraints of television or film production.
Maybe, just for once, O’Brien can heal. Now that’d be a story that would be worth telling.
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2024-11-26 02:23