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Of all the permanent changes we could’ve had, Harry Kim becoming an alien is the worst

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Of all the permanent changes we could've had, Harry Kim becoming an alien is the worst

As a seasoned gamer and Star Trek enthusiast, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of relief that Harry Kim didn’t become an alien for the rest of Voyager’s run. Having played numerous RPG games where character customization is key, I can only imagine the frustration of having my beloved character undergo such a drastic change without any input or control.

Star Trek tends to stick with what works well for it. Typically, each series in this franchise establishes its setting and sticks to it. For instance, the original show focused on a five-year mission, Deep Space Nine was based around a space station, Voyager was set in the Delta Quadrant, and Quark was a recurring trickster character. These elements remained consistent throughout their respective series.

Occasionally, the formula was challenged. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation series, it was planned for Jonathan Frakes and his character Will Riker to take over as the main lead after the end of season three, with Patrick Stewart being uncertain about coming back. However, with a fitting finale involving The Borg, circumstances seemed to favor a shift in focus towards Riker.

In the end, it didn’t happen as planned since Stewart and his character Captain Jean-Luc Picard rejoined the series in season four. However, that wasn’t the only significant alteration that was contemplated for this franchise. It seems there were discussions about making Harry Kim an alien permanently.

In the Voyager episode titled “Favorite Son”, Harry Kim underwent a transformation where his genetic makeup was altered to resemble a recently discovered alien species, enabling him to assist these females-dominated aliens in preserving their society. These aliens are reminiscent of the Gerudo from the Zelda universe, as they primarily consist of women. They can only sustain their species by mating with rare male members of their race or by interacting with visiting aliens for reproduction purposes.

The extraterrestrial beings called Taresians devised a cunning plan to lure Kim and other male aliens into their grasp, intending to exploit them until they were virtually depleted. To persuade these males to agree to a brief life span for DNA harvesting, the Taresians would disseminate a virus designed to manipulate the genetic makeup of unwitting aliens, leading them to believe that they were actually Taresians themselves.

The idea behind this episode is strong, yet it didn’t quite satisfy the viewers. However, it has the potential to revolutionize the entire series for good. Interestingly, the showrunner Lisa Klink envisioned a twist where Kim would remain an alien post the conclusion of the storyline.

As per Kim’s account, it was the executives at UPN who rejected the idea, as mentioned in a 1998 interview for Star Trek magazine (as reported by Slashfilm).

“They were going to keep it that way. They were talking about keeping me in alien spots for the rest of the series. Some big-wigs looked at it and said, ‘More sex, more action,’ and suddenly, it became convoluted. The arc wasn’t clear. They added in the vampire-like, blood-sucking women. But they didn’t go all the way with it.”

Among all the irreversible plot twists that were taken from us, this one seems unnecessary. Keeping Harry Kim as an alien throughout the rest of the four seasons appeared purposeless and unjustified. It felt like a decision made for no particular reason, simply to stir things up. Fortunately, they didn’t follow through with it.

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2024-09-27 21:23

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