characters or character development that went nowhere

[hellsgate]

Katherine Pulaski. She was deposited at the Phlox Institute on Deneb & left there, despite being a flagship officer worthy of her own Intrepid-Class or Nova-Class starship.

Source: ("A Time For War" & "A Time For Peace" by Keith R. A. DeCandido , & "CoE" E-Book: "Progress" by Terri Osborne.)

 

[Brennyren]

I was caught up in Chakotay's dilemma of how he could accept his child by Seska, when his own contribution to the kid's DNA had been stolen from him and he (quite understandably) had grown to hate the mother. And I think it might have been interesting to see him learning, not only to care for, but also to love, the child.

Except that about 15 minutes into "Basics II," we were told, quite blandly, that the child wasn't his. And he never seems to think of it, or of how the entire crew of Voyager risked their lives for his sake and that of said kid, ever again.

Not only did TPTB waste a chance for some promising character development that Chakotay could have used, but they also managed to make me, personally, feel like a sucker. Thanks loads, gang.

 

[startrekwatcher]

I was caught up in Chakotay's dilemma of how he could accept his child by Seska, when his own contribution to the kid's DNA had been stolen from him and he (quite understandably) had grown to hate the mother. And I think it might have been interesting to see him learning, not only to care for, but also to love, the child.

Except that about 15 minutes into "Basics II," we were told, quite blandly, that the child wasn't his. And he never seems to think of it, or of how the entire crew of Voyager risked their lives for his sake and that of said kid, ever again.

Not only did TPTB waste a chance for some promising character development that Chakotay could have used, but they also managed to make me, personally, feel like a sucker. Thanks loads, gang.

I agree but it is interesting to note that outgoing producer Michael Piller agreed with us and had intended for the child to be Chakotay's but Jeri Taylor wanted to sever all ties to the first two seasons hence the crew leaving Kazon/Vidiian territory behind, killing off Seska, killing off Suder and making the child Culluh's. She wanted to start anew in season three.

 

[James Pike]

Lets not forget the biggest let down in Character Development in ST history. Chakotay and Seven of Nine's as love interests. Where the fudge did that come from??? Something stupid to put in the last episode to fill time?

 

[doubleohfive]

Tuvok, Chakotay, B'Elanna, and Paris -- there was a lot the writers could have played with regarding each of these characters and how their lives intersected, but it was never milked to its full potential.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Mayweather: As originally written, he was "Lieutenant Joseph Mayweather", a slightly older character who was the most experienced space traveler on the ship, and perhaps someone who would be a close advisor to Captain Archer. But after casting a younger actor for the role and deciding that T'Pol should be the most experienced space traveler, Mayweather pretty much had nothing left to do but sit at the helm and say "Yes, sir" all the time. Mayweather apparently was more of a character off-camera...

Now that's a much-more interesting character; an older person who joined Starfleet later in life after years on "boomer" ships. It almost reminds me of how George Clayton Johnson thought that Kirk should've been closer to Scotty than McCoy because the former was the more experienced space traveler.

 

[JiNX-01]

I agree but it is interesting to note that outgoing producer Michael Piller agreed with us and had intended for the child to be Chakotay's but Jeri Taylor wanted to sever all ties to the first two seasons hence the crew leaving Kazon/Vidiian territory behind, killing off Seska, killing off Suder and making the child Culluh's. She wanted to start anew in season three.

I hated the Kazon (DQ Klingons with bad hair), so I don't really mind that they made a clean break from the first two seasons. However, the rape of Chakotay and Seska having his baby was interesting and dropping that aspect was a bad call. Chakotay needed something to do besides pine away for Janeway and then inexplicably turn up in the last episode picnicking with Seven of Nine.

 

[Brennyren]

I was caught up in Chakotay's dilemma of how he could accept his child by Seska, when his own contribution to the kid's DNA had been stolen from him and he (quite understandably) had grown to hate the mother. And I think it might have been interesting to see him learning, not only to care for, but also to love, the child.

Except that about 15 minutes into "Basics II," we were told, quite blandly, that the child wasn't his. And he never seems to think of it, or of how the entire crew of Voyager risked their lives for his sake and that of said kid, ever again.

Not only did TPTB waste a chance for some promising character development that Chakotay could have used, but they also managed to make me, personally, feel like a sucker. Thanks loads, gang.

I agree but it is interesting to note that outgoing producer Michael Piller agreed with us and had intended for the child to be Chakotay's but Jeri Taylor wanted to sever all ties to the first two seasons hence the crew leaving Kazon/Vidiian territory behind, killing off Seska, killing off Suder and making the child Culluh's. She wanted to start anew in season three.

:::Brennyren makes a mental note to bring this up the next time someone on the VOY board starts rhapsodizing about how Jeri Taylor was the producer who really understood the characters.::: Christ, what a lousy decision for Chakotay.

As a character, Chakotay was screwed six ways to Sunday. Since the Maquis/Starfleet tension was pretty much never explored ("pretty much never" because we did have "Parallax" and the Annual Maquis Episode), we didn't see him as the former Maquis captain trying to hold the line and keep things together. Because TPTB often tried to present Janeway as a strong captain by making her subordinates appear weak, he rarely looked like a strong first officer. Because they couldn't make up their gorram minds to either go forward with J/C or let him pursue a relationship elsewhere, he never came across as much of a romantic interest, even. (Honest to God, it takes some special writing to effectively neuter a horndog like Robert Beltran.) And he didn't even get to be a father. He was a tall, broad-shouldered piece of set dressing. What a waste of potential!

I don't care for how Beltran dealt with his frustration over playing a character that went nowhere -- but the frustration itself, that I can totally understand.