Few would be surprised to hear that "Voyager" had some continuity errors with its recurring background characters. The website Memory Alpha has decided that these discrepancies always mean two separate characters with the same name. Except for when they don't. It's confusing.
According to Memory Alpha, Naomi Wildman, the Borg Queen, T'Pel, and Captain Braxton can all change actors and still be the same character; but when background walker Ensign Murphy changed actors, it was proof that Voyager has two Ensign Murphys. The fact that "Prodigy" lists Joe Carey, Kurt Bendera and some other dead dudes as serving aboard the Dauntless is just a continuity error; but Ensign Kaplan being mentioned a season after her death means there are definitely two Ensign Kaplans on Voyager. A slightly-confusing duty roster is also proof that there are two Thompsons onboard. It's odd.
However, there is one repeat-name on Voyager that arguably does indicate two seperate characters: Ensign Lang.
In Season 3, Ensign Lang was a white female.
But from mid-Season 4 onward, "Lang" became Timothy Lang, a dark-skinned male.
Okay so....what's going on here?
Lang is a common enough name I suppose. But is it that likely that a ship of only 150 or so people, from all over the Alpha Quadrant, has two Ensign Langs?
Are they perhaps a married couple?
Or are they the same individual, who underwent a significant physical change?
According to Memory Alpha, Naomi Wildman, the Borg Queen, T'Pel, and Captain Braxton can all change actors and still be the same character; but when background walker Ensign Murphy changed actors, it was proof that Voyager has two Ensign Murphys. The fact that "Prodigy" lists Joe Carey, Kurt Bendera and some other dead dudes as serving aboard the Dauntless is just a continuity error; but Ensign Kaplan being mentioned a season after her death means there are definitely two Ensign Kaplans on Voyager. A slightly-confusing duty roster is also proof that there are two Thompsons onboard. It's odd.
However, there is one repeat-name on Voyager that arguably does indicate two seperate characters: Ensign Lang.
In Season 3, Ensign Lang was a white female.
But from mid-Season 4 onward, "Lang" became Timothy Lang, a dark-skinned male.
Okay so....what's going on here?
Lang is a common enough name I suppose. But is it that likely that a ship of only 150 or so people, from all over the Alpha Quadrant, has two Ensign Langs?
Are they perhaps a married couple?
Or are they the same individual, who underwent a significant physical change?
