The life of a Starfleet officer is often action-packed, dealing with a variety of intergalactic dramas. ButStar Trekhas always been intentional in reminding viewers that even their faves have off days. Like allrecurring themes throughout the franchise, this one started with the original. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) once struggled with his own traumatic past, leading to several poignant moments between him and his CMO Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley).
Unfortunately,The Original Seriesdidn’t apply this same care to other characters dealing with trauma from the action seen by the Enterprise crew during its 5-year mission. There were no in-depth explorations of how Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) might have struggled after being assaulted in her cabin. Multiple failed away missions involved a dead Redshirt or a member of the crew being tortured, only for the events to never be mentioned again. Years later,Star Trek: Deep Space Nineopened the door for more profound conversations around mental health issues experienced by Starfleet officers, including PTSD.
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Captain Kirk and Tarsus IV
Star Trekcame out of the gate engaging in meaningful conversations around the captain’s emotional well-being. First, it was in the unaired episode ofThe Original Series,in which Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) is counseled by his CMO Dr. Phil Boyce (John Hoyt) on whether he should retire. Then Captain Kirk later confronted his own trauma in season 1, episode 12, “Conscience of the King.”
As a child, Kirk was one of the sole survivors of the massacre of 4,000 people on Tarsus IV. He ran from the pain of that memory for years until it quite literally showed up on his doorstep in the form of the very man who ordered it – Governor Kodos pretending to be an actor named Anton Karidian (Arnold Moss). This emotional collision forced Kirk to finally face his trauma head-on, and address the difficulty of remembering what had happened. Dr. McCoy never outright diagnosed the captain with PTSD. Yet, it was apparent he was struggling to maintain his mental health while also being forced to deal with his childhood trauma.
Nog and AR-558
Deep Space Ninewas fearless in many regards. But it was especially brave when it came to portraying the mental health of Nog (Aron Eisenberg) after the Siege of AR-558. He wasn’t just the first in his family to join Starfleet; he was the first Ferengi to ever wear the iconic badge. It was a tremendous honor he wore with pride, but he never thought about the consequences of his decision to join until they were blowing up in his face
Season 7, episode 8, “The Siege of AR-558,” showed Nog fighting in one of the most brutal battles of the Dominion War. While the fighting was important, the outcome of Nog’s experience introduced a complex storyline around a Ferengi character’s mental health. Once again,Deep Space Nineproved its willingness not just to take dark turns in its storytelling, but to actuallyshow viewers the aftermath of war’s devastationas well. Nog’s leadership abilities and even his lobes were instrumental in helping Starfleet gain a foothold in that region of the galaxy. However, he lost his leg in the process, and later suffered severe symptoms of PTSD such as flashbacks and depression.
Dr. M’Benga and J’Gal
Starfleet often takes on militaristic duties. Yet, its primary mission has always been fostering peace. This sometimes includes forgiving those who have previously committed heinous crimes, as long as those former enemies are committed to earning that forgiveness. InStar Trek: Strange New Worlds, Dr. Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) was one of many officers put in the crossfire during one such negotiation.
M’Benga forged a forever friendship with Nurse Christine Chapel after the two bonded while serving on the medical team during the bloody battles of the Klingon War. M’Benga sustained most of his trauma due to vicious crimes committed by General Dak’Rah (Robert Wisdom) on J’Gal. Season 2, episode 8, “Under the Cloak of War,” showed M’Benga experiencing trauma symptoms, such as flashbacks and panic attacks, after Dak’Rah re-entered his life as a reformed ambassador. The Klingon claimed to want peace and to make up for his wrongs. Regardless, his very presence sent M’Benga into an emotional tailspin that left his mental health suffering under the weight of his duties to Starfleet.
Starfleet and the Eugenics War
When most people think of mental health issues inStar Trek, they think of the individuals. They think of Chief Engineer Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) on the verge of taking his own life in the cargo bay of Deep Space Nine. They don’t consider that an entire organization could be reeling in similar ways from devastating events. Yet, that’s exactly what Starfleet has been doing since the end of the Eugenics Wars.The legacy of Khan Noonien-Singh(Ricardo Montalbán) isn’t just the specter haunting Security Officer La’an (Christina Chong) inStrange New Worlds. His past crimes also dog the steps of Starfleet as a whole.
Commander Number One/Una Chin-Riley was put on trial after her Illyrian heritage was exposed along with genetic engineering she received as a child as part of her culture. Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) almost lost his job as a Starfleet officer when his own history of having been genetically engineered as a child came to light. In many ways, Starfleet is still battling the trauma of the Eugenics War. Whether they’ll seek intervention before their symptoms continue to disrupt the lives of those who don’t deserve such severe punishments has yet to be seen.
Star Trek’s Relationship With Trauma
Not to be left out of the conversation,Star Trek: Discoveryhas had its fair share of trauma-related storylines. Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) was trapped in the mycelial network after his unfortunate death in season 1, episode 10, “Despite Yourself”. Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) realized his body had beenhijacked by a Klingon warrior named Voqand used to commit many crimes – including the murder of Dr. Culber.
PTSD andStar Trekgo together like Mirrorverse characters and tight leather. There’s no separating the two and, at this point, no one wants to try because the results of their combination are fascinating. Most TV shows either sweep mental health issues under the rug or stand on a pedestal for the accolades of brave storytelling.Star Trekdoes the rare thing and lets its characters quietly speak for themselves. The diagnosis of PTSD is rarely mentioned directly, and trauma is shown more often than it’s told. Yet, that subtlety keeps the stories around these experiences uniquely compelling.
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