The captains might get all the glory, but it’s the first officers who keep it all going.
Here are the best Star Trek number ones.
Number One, you have the helm.
Commander Chakotay (Voyager)
No character suffered fromVoyagers slow evolution more than Chakotay.
Just look at the wonderful job Beltran does when Chakotay returns for a great arc inProdigy.
All except Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry OConnell.
Okay, thats not entirely true.
And yet, Ransoms best moments rarely go beyond punchline.
Several people were Commanding Officers at one time or another inDiscovery, including Michael Burnham herself.
Of course, that meant Sarus warnings went off constantly especially around Burnham.
That no-win situation only made TPol stand out more.
Jolene Blalock perfectly embodied a true believer Vulcan who slowly gets won over by the humans.
Through Spock, the series perfectly combined its sci-fi tropes and its ambitions to tell philosophical stories.
Moreover, Spock set the standard forStar Trekfirst officers.
Commander William Riker (The Next Generation)
Need evidence of Will Rikers greatness?
First, watchJonathan Frakesperform the Riker maneuver.
Then, watch his forerunner Will Decker inStar Trek: The Motion Picture.
Its that warm competence that makes Riker the idealStar Trekfirst officer.
At a moments notice, Riker could take the helm and even fire torpedos at his compromised captain.
