To Boldly Know is a new, light-hearted article series developed to give the SB118 community the chance to get to know the writers behind the characters. We all have different experiences with Star Trek, and no two people will have the exact same views. I want to use this series to give people the opportunity to share what they enjoy, their knowledge of Trek lore and their love of the movies and of the series. Hopefully, it helps to spark (friendly) debate in the community and gives people something new to think about.
For the first installment in this series, we are hearing from the writer behind Lt. Commander Aine Sherlock, a Terran who currently serves on board the USS Chin’toka as First Officer.
Matthews: Thank you for joining us for the launch of To Boldly Know. We’ll start with an easier opener. So, out of every single piece of Star Trek content, who is your favourite Captain and why?
Sherlock: Thank you for having me! Of any? Wow, that leaves some choices here. I’d really like to say Captain Shaw. A lot of people didn’t like him because he was the antithesis to our old favorites. But the reality was that he was the Captain of the Titan and he was doing what he needed to do in the best interests of his ship. I appreciate that kind of character. But, I think my final answer is Captain John Harriman. We only see him in Alpha Canon once, at the beginning of Star Trek: Generations. And he fumbles…sorta. The reality is that he’s a young and new Captain with an under-crewed and ill equipped ship. He’s suddenly under pressure to perform this rescue in a phenomenon they’d never seen before. He made a couple bad calls and people were lost. But in the end, he also knew he needed help and wasn’t afraid to ask for it. He has humility. Now, in Beta Canon, he was the longest serving Captain of a starship named Enterprise. What an achievement and what a Captain he must have been. The irony of that is that in Generations, Kirk tells Picard to hold onto the Enterprise as long as you can, not knowing someone already did.
OK, interesting choice. A follow on from that; that Captain is given command of a ship. What canon characters would you select to make up the rest of the main crew? Don’t be afraid to mix things up with choices from several different shows!
For First Officer, I have to go with Riker. He’s a great “right hand man.” He’ll go above and beyond, even wearing feathers, for the job. Lieutenant JG Sam Lavelle on the helm. He became a shift Ops Officer, but he started at the helm and I imagine that’s where he’s most at home. And we’ll give him a chance to grow there. Operations, you can’t go wrong with Data as he can fill in anywhere, anytime. Caveat: pre-emotion chip Data. Sec/Tac, Tasha Yar. She was never afraid to put others before herself. Picard even talked about why he picked her, how she wasn’t afraid to sacrifice herself for the potential to save another. Science would be D’Vana Tendi. How could you not pick someone who’s enthusiasm for science is that overwhelming!? The last two positions are Engineering and Medical and I’d have to pick Miles O’Brien and Leonard McCoy. With those two personalities, I don’t think there’d ever be a dull moment.
It’s pretty common knowledge in the Fleet that you are somewhat of a ship buff. Which ship class from canon would you love to see introduced into SB118 and what do you think makes it stand apart from the rest?
Who wrote this!? Did you write this!? Seriously!? You can’t ask me to just pick one! This is killing me! Ok, breath…so, we’ve introduced the Inquiry, the Sagan, the Duderstadt, and the Constitution III. And the Picard series canonized several ships from Star Trek Online. So, I think, if I really could only pick one, I’d have to go with the update on everyone’s favorite classic of the Miranda Class, the Reliant Class. It would be the new workhorse of Starfleet. The Miranda Class goes all the way back to the 2260’s and canonically we see it in the Dominion War, tons of them. In our fleet’s canon, there’s still one in service. The Reliant, being the natural and now canon progression, would fill that same role.
The franchise has a lot of great shows that appeal to a wide audience. Considering all of the ones you’ve seen, which series would you state boldly is the best overall and what draws you to that one in particular?
I feel like it’s mostly nostalgia, but The Next Generation. The variety of themes, character development, and even conflicts is so broad. It even, with just one episode, set the tone for the series Lower Decks. What I really like though is that so many times, it doesn’t give us a definitive answer. So many times it leaves it up to you as the viewer to decide in your own mind what is right and what is wrong. Think of the episode Pen Pals. I have my opinions on what happened in that episode, but those are just for me. Watch it (or rewatch it) and really think about what’s happening. Do you agree with what happened? Would you do things differently if you were in that situation? I don’t believe there’s a right or wrong answer to it honestly. But if you watch it again and find yourself asking those questions, hit me up and let’s see how we see things similarly or differently.
If you had to pick a Star Trek episode that makes you laugh, one that makes you think and one that makes you cry (or almost makes you cry); which three episodes would you pick and what’s the reason behind those choices?
Laugh, Deep Space 9’s Little Green Men. The tie-in to history was brilliant and I totally buy that they were the real Roswell incident. There were also just some goofy moments in it where they used the ignorance of Humans to comedic effect. I don’t know if I have one that makes me cry, so I’m going to give you two that make me think and are a bit emotional for me. Measure of a Man and Family. The former puts forth some really strong ethical arguments about what life is, but it’s the arc of Bruce Maddox, who they bring back for Picard season 1, the belief that someone so dedicated to one point of view can change. And the latter, seeing Jean Luc at his most vulnerable, it’s just a really powerful moment that I think sets a tone for the character that we see up to the end of the series. It’s a vulnerability I feel many people can or will relate to at some point in their lives.
Some species in Star Trek get more screen time than others. If you could see any one species explored more on-screen, which would you like it to be? What do you find interesting about that species in particular?
The Romulans. There is no other answer. And not just because I like them. There’s more to them than what’s seen on screen, way more. And we got some glimpses more recently. But read The Bloodwing Voyages. On top of that there has been a constant theme of wanting to have peace with them and a certain hopefulness from them in wanting the same. All the way back in Balance of Terror, “I regret that we meet in this way. You and I are of a kind. In a different reality, I could have called you friend.” Then at the end of The Chase, “It would seem that we are not completely dissimilar after all – in our hopes, or in our fears.” And even the end of Nemesis, “You’ve earned a friend in the Romulan Empire today, Captain. I hope the first of many.” All quotes from Romulan Commanders. For literally decades they’ve hinted at wanting some sort of resolution with them and we’ve just never gotten it.
So, prior to her posting to the Chin’toka as its First Officer, Aine has a history as both a Security Officer and a Tactical Officer, as well as being a Chief of both departments at various times of her career. Out of the following five prominent Security Officers within Trek, who would come out on top in a battle royale? Malcolm Reed, La’an Noonien-Singh, Natasha Yar, Worf, Odo and Tuvok.
This is worse than the “one ship” question! Let’s break this down. I love Malcolm Reed, but really, he lacks the experience to deal with the others. Tough guy, but would be in over his head. Odo, why do I think he’d just stand on the side, arms crossed, thinking a Battle Royale was just a dumb idea. He’s really not a fighter. In fact, Tuvok might be there next to him. Yar, tough as nails too, but again, too willing to jump into danger without thinking it through. Worf, just bring a barrel and he’s finished…though old Worf is pretty awesome…maybe. And that leaves us La’an. She’s an augment (or partially), and can give an Illiryian a run for their money. Yeah, I’ve got my money on her.
Seeing into the lives of some of our favourite characters has always been an enjoyable part of Star Trek episodes. Over the course of the franchise we’ve seen several interesting pregnancy story arcs. Considering you’ve recently embarked on a pregnancy journey of your own with Aine, which canon pregnancy would you consider the most compelling?
Hmm…well…where do we start…? Trip Tucker? Janeway/Paris? How about Spot? Or Gracie? Actually, there we go, Gracie. I’ll stop being sarcastic and go with that as a serious answer. Childbirth is more than just having a child, it’s literally setting a path to the future. It’s continuation. And in Star Trek IV we see a species that isn’t there in the future because of humans. There lies an interesting twist with that story in that they go back in time to get a humpback whale to save future Earth. There’s no intention of repopulating the species. They just need to stop the probe. They see the destruction that man is going to do, the destruction that ultimately leads to their own destruction. Then the turn of Gracie being pregnant. It’s now more than just saving future Earth, it’s saving Gracie and the hope of a future for the species that, in their time, they destroyed. There’s not only a redemption arc but again, that hope for making a better future.
Thanks for your time, Lieutenant Commander Sherlock!
You can read more about Lieutenant Commander Aine Sherlock on the Wiki.
