Star Trek: Lower Decks reveals Naomi Wildman’s future

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Warning: This post contains spoilers from Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 1, “Dos Cerritos.”

As a gamer with over three decades of Star Trek fandom under my belt, it was a heartwarming surprise to see Naomi Wildman mentioned again in Star Trek: Lower Decks! Growing up with Voyager as a cornerstone of my weekly sci-fi fix, I’ve always had a soft spot for the ship’s youngest crew member. To think that she’s now making waves in Starfleet is truly inspiring and a testament to the lasting impact these characters can have on us viewers.

Previously, we encountered Naomi Wildman, played by Scarlett Pomers on Star Trek: Voyager, who was still a child being put to bed by Neelix [Ethan Phillips]. Since she was the only child born and raised on Voyager [Tom Paris’ and B’Elanna Torres’ daughter was born on the ship before Voyager returned to Earth], she attracted much attention since it was unexpected for the ship to be away from home long enough for children to be born. However, Ensign Samantha Wilder [Nancy Hower] was already pregnant when Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant, making Naomi Wildman an integral part of the Voyager family. Pomers appeared in nineteen episodes throughout the series’ seven year run.

After the conclusion of Voyager, there hadn’t been much talk about Naomi, leaving her fate uncertain – whether she was with Starfleet or what happened when the starship returned to Earth. However, an alternate timeline in Voyager’s seventh season hinted at Naomi joining Starfleet, but this wasn’t officially confirmed. The premiere of Star Trek: Lower Decks’ fifth and final season, though, finally cleared up her story.

In the “30 under 30” feature of Fleet Magazine, Brad Boimler (played by Jack Quaid) stumbled upon Naomi’s name as an Honorable Mention, implying that she was a Starfleet member as of 2381. Although there’s no guarantee we’ll see her in future series, it is certain that she decided to walk the path her mother had taken. [Paraphrased from Screenrant]

It’s delightful to come across these brief references to former crew members, including those we assumed wouldn’t resurface. Some of them have slipped our memory, but it’s heartening to be reminded that there were significant supporting characters who contributed significantly to the series, even if they didn’t always take center stage.

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2024-10-28 04:23