If you could recreate Harry Kim....

[Kilana2]

We all know that Harry wasn't one of the popular characters.

- he is bland
- no promotion - the eternal Ensign
- Voyager's Wesley
- useless
etc. etc.


If you had the chance to improve the character, how would you create him?

Tasks aboard Voyager, hobbies, love life, friends, holodeck, adventures and so on.

I'd like to have seen more of Libby Webber, his AQ girl-friend, for instance. She was one of the more interesting family members. For me, Janeways partner Mark was bland as hell.

Playing the clarinet is also not popular with women. I'd equip him with a contrabass.....

You may also change Harry's name. Killing the character off or dropping him is not an option.

I'd like to see a new Harry. Feel free to add an interesting background. I'm not a Harry hater, but his parents bore the hell out of me.

 

[Lynx]

We all know that Harry wasn't one of the popular characters.

- he is bland
- no promotion - the eternal Ensign
- Voyager's Wesley
- useless
etc. etc.


If you had the chance to improve the character, how would you create him?

Tasks aboard Voyager, hobbies, love life, friends, holodeck, adventures and so on.

I'd like to have seen more of Libby Webber, his AQ girl-friend, for instance. She was one of the more interesting family members. For me, Janeways partner Mark was bland as hell.

Playing the clarinet is also not popular with women. I'd equip him with a contrabass.....

You may also change Harry's name. Killing the character off or dropping him is not an option.

I'd like to see a new Harry. Feel free to add an interesting background. I'm not a Harry hater, but his parents bore the hell out of me.

I would have done it the same way as Tim McGee in NCIS has developed.

He started up as something similar to Harry. The series whipping boy who was messing things up, unsecure, clumsy and under constant attacks of ridicule from his colleague Tony DiNozzo.

But during the seasons, McGee has turned into a valuable member of the team.

It wouldn't have taken that much to beef up Harry. Just look at the Voyager books where he's actually doing something. OK, there is still some of the "whipping boy" syndrome even in the books because he ends up in sickbay too many times.

But he was still better in the books where he did help to save the day a few times.

I wrote this about Harry a couple of years ago, about "the curse of Harry Kim":

Yesterday I was sorting through the timeline I made of the episodes and books in seasons 1-3 and it struck me that poor harry must have been cursed in some way shortly before being assigned to Voyager. In three years the poor guy had more accidents and fatal injuries than an ordinary person has in all his/her life.

April 2371: Harry is asigned to Voyager. Good fortune? Just wait......

26 April 2371: On his first mission, harry and the rest of the crew are transported to the Delta Quadrant by The Caretaker who gives Harry and B'Elanna a fatal disease which they fortunately are cured from. (Episode "Caretaker).

14 June 2371: Harry, B'Elanna and Neelix are accidently transported back in time on the planet Alcawell. Unauthorized time travel is a main offense on that world and Harry and the others are actually executed before Janeway manage to retrieve them and bring them back to life with some time-travel and diplomacy. (Book "The Escape")

17 June 2371: Harry is badly injured in a firefight with a P'nir and close to death. (Book "Ragnarok")

7 August 2371: Harry and Tom are captured on the Banean homeworld and Tom is accused for murdering a professor. Harry is released after intensive interrogation and ends up in sickbay as a result of that. (Episode "Ex Post Facto")

16 August 2371: Harry is transported to another dimension. he changes place with a man who is about to be killed, ends up being killed himself but is brought back to life on Voyager. (Episode "Emanations")

10 September 2371: Harry is captured by some energy beings while playing Beowulf on the holodeck and dissapears from Voyager. he is finally brought back by The Doctor (Episode "Heroes and Demons")

Thursday 9 December 2371: Harry is poisened by radioactive radiation and ends up in sickbay. (Book "The Final Fury")

5 January 2372: While on a mission with a shuttle, Harry ends up in an alternate timeline and is only seconds from being blown to pieces in an explosion while attempting to come back to his own timeline. (Episode "Non Sequitur).

11 January 2372: Harry is injured in a firefight and ends up in sickbay. (Book "Ghost Of A Chance)

3 February 2372. Harry is badly injured in an explosion and close to death. (Book "Cybersong)

13 February 2372: Harry and Tom gets involved in a political struggle on Sardalia and are captured by one of the groups involved in the conflict. While trying to escape from those people, Harry and Tom are close to drown and rescued by Chakotay in the last possible second. (Book "Bless The Beasts)

19 July 2372: Harry is killed while being sucked out in space on a badly damaged Voyager. However, Vyager has been duplicated and eventually the duplicate Harry takes the place of the original Harry on Voyager when all paradoxes are solved. Duplicate or not, the curse is still there. (Episode "Deadlock")

1 August 2372: Harry and B'Elanna ends up in a virtual world, ruled by the evil Clown. Who ends up of being The Clowns pet project if not poor Harry. He is almost decapitated but saved in the last minute by The Doctor. (Episode "The Thaw")

3 August 2372: Harry and B'Elanna are captured by the Nograkh and forced to work in a radioactive mine. Both are poisoned by radiation but manage to escape. (Book "Her Klingon Soul")

9 September 2372: Harry is almost court-martialed after questioning the decision to leave Janeway and Chakotay on a strange planet (Episode "Resolutions)

28 December 2372: Harry breaks his leg in a cavern during an eartquake and is very close to fall din a deep cliff. He is rescued by Tom and Kes and ends up in sickbay. (Book "Chrysalis")

26 February 2373: Harry and Tom are imprisoned on Akritiri and taken to a strange space station which serves as a pison. Both are beaten up and ill-treated but finally manage to escape. (Episode "The Chute" and how many times do we have to tell Tom that going with Harry on some mission will be fatal in the long run?)

5 March 2373: It's Harry's birthday when Voyager encounters the planet Ryolanov. There, the crew face one of the most vicious enemies they ever encounter in the Delta Quadrant. OK, Harry gets away without injuries this time but the fact that the events starts on his birthday is clearly because of the curse.

5 september 2373: Harry is infected by a virus which is activated on 25 september 2173 when Harry is lead to believe that he is a Taresian, striving to go home. At the Taresian homeworld, Harry is almost the victim of some DNA-sucking female "vampires" before being rescued in the last possible moment. (Episode "Favorite Son)

26 december 2373: Harry is attacked by Species 2472 and badly injured, close to death.

And the curse goes on and on and on.....

Note that all those events were only in seasons 1-3. Since it was a long time ago I watched seasons 4-6 and I'm not familiar at all with the season 4-7 books or the season 7 episodes, I won't go into those seasons, I'm sure that there are those who have better memories of them. But I have some vague memories which tells me that the curse did continue during all the events in those years as well. No wonder that this old blues tune from Tom's library of 20th century music has become Harry's favorite:

"Born under a bad sign
I've been down since I began to crawl
If it wasn't for bad luck
I wouldn't have no luck at all
Bad luck and trouble is my only friend
I've been down ever since I was ten
Born under a bad sign....."

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I would've made him an Andorian, in the beginning deeply troubled over being lost years from home and unable to be involved with his Bondgroup and sire a child, with the guilt that would bring him, given Andors declining population.

Later on, his trisexual manner (since as an Andorian he would have intercourse with two "female" and another "male" gender) would've opened him up to relatiosnhips with female and male crewmembers/characters.

Have him come to a point where he actively tries to push himself further, becoming a "protege" of sorts to Tuvok, learning more about combat and tactics from him. Made him and Paris more of a bromance, and looked at the dynamic between him and Torres--him as the standup example of Starfleet and her as the more independently minded Maquis.

 

[Takeru]

My Harry wouldn't be fresh out of the academy, he'd still be an ensign but with a bit of experience, Voyager would be his second assignment. He's still young but not completely green, he specifically requested a reassignment to Voyager because he preferred serving on a smaller ship.

He's a quarter betazoid but only empathic when he's in physical contact with somebody, he likes to keep his distance from other people at first because it makes him a bit uncomfortable to feel a strangers emotions but with family and close friends he's very touchy-feely (literally).

His hobbies are cycling and kayaking and that's how he spends every minute of his holodeck time. He let's people tag along sometimes but generally prefers doing sports it alone. When he spends time with friends he likes cooking together and watching movies, he's not the type who likes to party or go out (too much unwanted touching in clubs and bars).

Harry's gay but not really interested in a new relationship because he has a boyfriend at home, he's crushing a bit on Tom though who becomes one of his closest friends along with Kes. The thought of Kes bringing Neelix to their cooking and movie evenings makes him shudder because of Neelix leola root obsession.

I'm too tired to completely reinvent him so I just tweaked a few things.

 

[hux]

Firstly, can someone explain to me why Libby was with such a tedious, yawn-inducing nice boy like Harry? What exactly is she getting from this relationship? Maybe she has a clarinet fetish.

Harry? Well I didn't mind that he was young and inexperienced but they needed to develop that over the seven years and show him evolving into a confident, trial by fire, crew member but it never happened. He basically just stayed the same throughout and rarely butted heads with mummy. Even his friendship with bad-boy Paris failed to give him any edge.

Why was Harry even on the bridge? Mortimer Harren had more hutzpah and intelligence yet was festering down on deck 15 for some reason. Couldn't Mortimer press the same buttons Harry pressed? Couldn't anyone?

To be glib, I would have made Harry much more interesting. I would have made him, um, a better character.

I actually like him (more than most) but the truth is, you could have replaced him with a photograph of a shoe and lost very little.

 

[Kilana2]

Firstly, can someone explain to me why Libby was with such a tedious, yawn-inducing nice boy like Harry? What exactly is she getting from this relationship?

To be glib. I would have made Harry more interesting. I would have made him a better character.

I was waiting for this statement to come....

Libby is hot. But I don't know, if their ralationship would have lasted, even if Harry were a different person.

Spoiler: Litverse Libby

Harry had bland romances in th DQ, I can hardly remember them. According to the litverse Libby has cheated on Harry - several times

So let's say Harry's name would be - say - Henry Kimbal..... How would he be like?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Firstly, can someone explain to me why Libby was with such a tedious, yawn-inducing nice boy like Harry? What exactly is she getting from this relationship?

To be glib. I would have made Harry more interesting. I would have made him a better character.

I was waiting for this statement to come....

Libby is hot. But I don't know, if their ralationship would have lasted, even if Harry were a different person.

Spoiler: Litverse Libby

Harry had bland romances in th DQ, I can hardly remember them. According to the litverse Libby has cheated on Harry - several times

So let's say Harry's name would be - say - Henry Kimbal..... How would he be like?

He'd be on the run, after being accused of murdering his wife.

 

[stardream]

Looking at that list he did seem to be a whipping boy for the series. It's a bit unfair because we did get the parallel 'b' arcs that I like to call The redemption of Tom Paris and the Journey of self acceptance of B'elanna Torres. He got...zilch. I like the idea of of making him half Romulan except unlike Torres he actually went to the trouble of having cosmetic surgery and falsifying his medical records because he was assigned to Voyager as a spy. The Doctor will find out of course...so the green insecure newbie thing would be an act but his friendship with Tom would still be real...which will of course cause conflict and angst.

Concerning Libby in the Litverse I got the impression that she was doing the same thing Harry was...falling in love with unattainable unsuitable men because while she felt she should move on but deep down she really was not ready to.

 

[Kilana2]

Looking at that list he did seem to be a whipping boy for the series. It's a bit unfair because we did get the parallel 'b' arcs that I like to call The redemption of Tom Paris and the Journey of self acceptance of B'elanna Torres. He got...zilch. I like the idea of of making him half Romulan except unlike Torres he actually went to the trouble of having cosmetic surgery and falsifying his medical records because he was assigned to Voyager as a spy. The Doctor will find out of course...so the green insecure newbie thing would be an act but his friendship with Tom would still be real...which will of course cause conflict and angst.

Interesting. We had already Seska being Cardassian with cosmetic surgery. But Harry as Half-Romulan would have been fun. Maybe a political refugee posing as human. The Doctor discovers his Romulan heritage. Rom-Harry gets the same chance like the Maquis. Now we need a job for Rom-Harry....

 

[Nerys Myk]

Harry "Danger" Kim

Former undercover agent for Starfleet Intelligence who's gone "off the grid" as a lowly Ensign.

Women want to be with him

Men want to be him.

Marital Artist

Marksman

Master of Disguise

Mixologist

Man About Town

 

[Triskelion]

Lucy Liu.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I would throw the clarinet into the replicator and out would come something similarly shaped but far more interesting.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I'd simply make Harry less gullible and more prickly in demeanor.

He would be officially the chief science officer (we needed one more "blue shirt" among the main characters, IMO). He graduated second in his Academy class with honors in astrophysics and was a lieutenant junior grade from start, having skipped the rank of ensign. He has a bit of a chip on his shoulder ("I'm the smartest one on the ship."), but he is frequently taken down a peg when he gets too full of himself by Paris. Later becomes friends with both Paris and the doctor--together, they are the three amigos! When Seven of Nine arrives, Kim immediately dislikes her as Janeway begins to rely more on her for science stuff. By season four, he is promoted to full lieutenant. By season seven, he and Seven aren't necessarily a couple, but the potential is there for them to become one later by the time the series ends.

 

[hux]

he and Seven aren't necessarily a couple, but the potential is there for them to become one later by the time the series ends.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and veto this idea (everyone gets one veto on the Voyager board). I'm using mine here. Seven and Harry. No!

No!

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I would throw the clarinet into the replicator and out would come something similarly shaped but far more interesting.

+1

The mind boggles at the possibilities

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

he and Seven aren't necessarily a couple, but the potential is there for them to become one later by the time the series ends.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and veto this idea (everyone gets one veto on the Voyager board). I'm using mine here. Seven and Harry. No!

No!

You have my support hux and if needs be, my money.

 

[C.E. Evans]

he and Seven aren't necessarily a couple, but the potential is there for them to become one later by the time the series ends.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and veto this idea (everyone gets one veto on the Voyager board). I'm using mine here. Seven and Harry. No!

No!

he and Seven aren't necessarily a couple, but the potential is there for them to become one later by the time the series ends.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and veto this idea (everyone gets one veto on the Voyager board). I'm using mine here. Seven and Harry. No!

No!

You have my support hux and if needs be, my money.

Neither of you have a say in the matter like you didn't with any of the actual relationships in Trek.

 

[Kilana2]

he and Seven aren't necessarily a couple, but the potential is there for them to become one later by the time the series ends.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and veto this idea (everyone gets one veto on the Voyager board). I'm using mine here. Seven and Harry. No!

No!

This time I have to agree with hux. Kim and Seven? No, no,no.
Recreated Harry with both of the Delaneys...... yes...

 

[C.E. Evans]

he and Seven aren't necessarily a couple, but the potential is there for them to become one later by the time the series ends.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and veto this idea (everyone gets one veto on the Voyager board). I'm using mine here. Seven and Harry. No!

No!

This time I have to agree with hux. Kim and Seven? No, no,no.

Too bad, too sad. Not your call to make.

Defeats the whole purpose of this thread otherwise.

 

[Ithekro]

What was missing was having the third character of the tri-force. They needed a Richard.

It is always Tom, Dick, and Harry. They were missing the important part for Kim.