In the cult television Valhalla, viewers have encountered several lost or wayward space travelers: human men and women isolated in the void of outer space, and seeking a new home (Space: 1999, Lost in Space), a way back to Earth (Star Trek: Voyager, SGU) or even a mere respite from pursuit (Battlestar Galactica).
In
virtually every well-known TV tale of “lost” space travelers, however, the
human community struggling to survive has been forced to contend not just with externals
dangers such as strange space phenomena or hostile aliens…but with threats from within their very group. These internal dangers – these treacherous characters -- are perhaps the trickiest to manage,
and these menaces often cause tremendous discontent and strife.
So
without further introduction, here are the five characters you’d least like to
be lost in space with.
5. Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) on SGU (2009 – 2011). Admittedly, Dr. Rush is not flat-out evil, like at least a few of the names you’ll note on this list, but he’s certainly…difficult.
A genius and a dedicated scientist, Dr. Rush
finds himself trapped aboard the Ancient starship Destiny, a vessel flying out
of control and headed beyond the confines of our galaxy. Although we learn in the episode “Human”
about the tragic death of Rush’s wife, Gloria (Louise Lombard), that personal
background detail hardly excuses Rush’s secrecy, his arrogance, or his schemes to
see life on Destiny unfold by his agenda.
Early on in the first season, Rush frames the ship’s leader, Colonel
Young (Louis Ferrara) for murder, so that he can continue to study Ancient
technology unimpeded. After Young exiles
Rush on a desolate planet, Rush manages a return (thanks to a little alien
abduction…) and returns to Destiny. Once
there, he agrees to cooperate fully with Young for the well-being of the crew,
but in the very next episode, sets about trapping Young aboard a shuttle, and
seizing control of the Destiny for a faction of civilians.
In
short, Rush is a valuable asset in terms of his intelligence and knowledge, but
absolutely unreliable in terms of loyalty or team-work.
4. Seska (Martha Hackett) on Star Trek: Voyager (1995 – 2001). Seska is a member of Commander Chakotay’s (Rorbert Beltran) Maquis crew when she joins Voyager in the Delta Quadrant in the series pilot “Caretaker.” Introduced in the second episode, “Parallax,” Seska quickly proves that she isn’t exactly Starfleet timbre. She constantly second-guesses attempts to integrate the two disparate crews, and deliberately goes against Captain Janeway’s orders of non-interference in the episode “Prime Factors,” opting to steal alien technology that could provide a short-cut home.
Of
course, the kicker with Seska is that she is incredibly deceptive. She is not the Bajoran she appears to be, but
rather a Cardassian spy! When Janeway’s command style proves to her intense disliking,
Seska reveals her true colors and begins secretly working with a villainous
Kazon sect that hopes to seize Voyager.
Finally -- making her the intergalactic equivalent of Fatal
Attraction’s Alex Forrest -- Seska impregnates herself with Chakotay’s
DNA and then uses Chakotay’s child as bait to entrap Chakotay and the Voyager
crew.
On
the plus side, Seska is apparently the only person in history to find Chakotay
interesting…
3. Commissioner Simmonds (Roy Dotrice) on Space: 1999 (1975 – 1977). When the moon is blasted out of Earth’s orbit, Moonbase Alpha is manned by 311 dedicated scientists and astronauts.
Plus,
there’s one politician tag-along…Gerald Simmonds.
In
the first episode, “Breakaway,” Simmonds is revealed to be your typical political
animal, a man who would do and say anything to avoid making a tough call, and
at the same time maintain his position of power authority. He’s a weasel and a bureaucrat, one who would
easily let Commander Koenig (Martin Landau) take the fall for a difficult
decision.
But
in his second appearance in “Earthbound,” Commissioner Simmonds proves rather
more malicious than his behavior in “Breakaway” suggests. When visiting aliens called Kaldorians arrive
on Moonbase Alpha, Simmonds contrives to take any action necessary – including blackmail – to assure that he
gets a seat (or stasis tube…)on their spacecraft, which is headed to
Earth. Specifically, he threatens Alpha’s
life support unit, and holds several technicians at gunpoint.
Cruel,
imperious, and eminently capable of violence, Simmonds is a “superior” officer,
but an inferior human being. As his
actions in “Earthbound” make plain, Simmonds puts his own well-being ahead of
the lives of everyone on Alpha. As
Captain Zantor (Christopher Lee) notes of Simmonds, he is a “diseased”
individual. And as Paul Morrow (Prentis
Hancock) observes, Alpha is “well rid of him.”
2. Count Baltar (John Colicos) on Battlestar Galactica (1978 – 1979). In the first episode of the original Glen Larson series, Baltar betrays the entire human race to the genocidal Cylons. He does it with a smile, which makes it worse.
The
Cylons spare Baltar’s life only so that he may pursue the fleeing rag-tag fleet
and destroy the Galactica. But Baltar,
strangely, seems to switch loyalties…again.
In “Lost Planet of the Gods,” he meets Adama (Lorne Greene) on the
sacred planet of Kobol and presents a plan to attack the Cylons, even releasing
Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) from captivity to prove his sincerity. Adama doesn’t believe him, and Baltar is left
to die on the planet surface
In
a later episode, “War of the Gods,” Baltar is back. This time, he’s fearful of the Ship of Lights
and visits Galactica to propose a universal truce. Instead, he is immediately imprisoned and
taken to the Prison Barge, where he attempts escape (“Baltar’s Escape”).
And
finally, in “The Hand of God,” Baltar again navigates the narrow line between
friend and foe, promising the Colonials critical information about the lay-out
of a Cylon base-star if only they grant him his freedom and maroon him on a
habitable planet.
The
problem with Baltar, of course, is that betraying and exterminating nine-tenths
of the human race is an offense that’s tough to walk back from. But that doesn’t stop him from trying. Why
propose a truce? Why propose teaming-up? No one can guess what really motivates
Baltar, besides his own lust for power.
1. Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris) on Lost in Space (1965 – 1968). If Dr. Smith is near, you have plenty to fear, to turn around a popular character catchphrase.
This
“reluctant stowaway” aboard the Jupiter 2 in Irwin Allen’s Lost in Space started out
as a saboteur and villain, and then became – for three years – a constant irritant to the heroic Robinson family
of space pioneers. Cowardly,
manipulative, and insulting (especially to the robot), Smith managed to land
himself and usually the Robinsons too into all kinds of trouble over the
years. In “My Friend, Mr. Nobody,” he
nearly killed a peaceful alien so as to possess a cache of diamonds. In “The Oasis,” Smith used-up the last of the
family’s precious water…for a shower.
Smith
causes accidents (“Wish Upon a Star”), sabotages spacecraft (“The Raft), covets
alien items (“The Magic Mirror”), requires constant rescue (“His Majesty Smith”),
is transformed into a stalk of celery (“The Great Vegetable Rebellion”), and
even attempts to sell the family robot as spare parts (“Junkyard in Space.”) In short, he makes life miserable for the
Robinsons.
It
has often been suggested that Dr. Smith be shown the way to the nearest airlock
on the Jupiter 2, and booted into space.
It’s a testament to the Robinson family’s good-nature (and the family
friendly atmosphere of the series…), that this never occurred. But Smith surely represents all the worst in
humanity, from greed to treachery to disloyalty. It would be miserable to be lost in space
with this guy.
In
fact, just imagine being lost in space with a crew consisting of Dr. Rush,
Seska, Commissioner Simmonds, Baltar and Dr. Smith.
Which of 'em would get kicked out the airlock first?
Dunno - but that might be a "reality" series worth watching!
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated side note, the first time I saw Voyager and watched Chakotay walk on screen, my initial reaction was to say "Raoul...?!?!" Anybody else? :D
I recently revisited the original "Battlestar Galactica" and that was one of the questions I wished they had addressed a bit clearer - what made Baltar tick. Was it lust for power? Or was there something else going on there. He certainly is an in intriguing character.
ReplyDeleteAs for your last question... well I don't think a ship containing those five would survive. A self destruct would be activated... if only to preserve the sanity of the rest of the crew. ;)
John interesting analysis of the enemy within a group. I find both Commissioner Simmonds and Doctor Smith are the most annoying pains in the... Never fear, Smith is here.
ReplyDeleteSGB
Great list of less than savory characters.
ReplyDeleteJohn and Maureen Robinson surely should have won some kind of bad parenting award for letting their kids hang out with someone who was not so comical and tried to murder them all early in the first season of Lost in Space. I could never take that show seriously because of Smith...
I don't know how John Koenig and the rest of the Moonbase Alpha staff managed to tolerate Gerald Simmonds. Nevertheless, both Zantor and Paul Morrow were quite correct in their description and disposal of the corrupt politician.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, an excellent blog, John.
Doctor Smith from Lost in Space was a character that got out of control, from a production perspective. He and Will Robinson took over the show. I too would not want to be stuck in a claustrophobic space ship with that guy.
ReplyDeleteJohn Colicos was terrific in Battlestar Galactica; so much so that I would do my best to avoid Baltar.
Ahh, yes... Commissioner Simmonds: A guy who held so much promise as a continuing character. Sure, he was annoying, but in a good dramatic way; as I addressed, myself... http://barrysmight.blogspot.ca/2013/07/commissioner-simmonds-earthbound.html