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What are the Trill in Star Trek? Explained

In many ways, it’s easy to explain the Trill of Star Trek . They are a humanoid species from the planet Trill located in the Alpha Quadrant. They look just like Humans except for the cluster of dark spots running along the sides of their heads and – though it’s often unseen for censorship purposes – along their bodies. There’s an aspect of Trill culture that’s a little more difficult to explain, though, but I’ll give it a try anyway.

What is a Trill?

The Trill are as scientifically advanced as most alien races throughout the galaxy of Star Trek . They, too, love to put things under a microscope and study them in official research capacities. It’s potentially in their pursuit of knowledge that they discovered a long, long time ago that some of them had the ability to link with a Trill symbiont.

Related : The Best Star Trek TV Shows, Ranked

They undergo surgery during which a big worm is placed in their abdomen. This process forms an immediate connection between the host and the symbiont. The two then embark on a lifelong journey of sharing memories and life experiences after they are joined. It’s not such an easy concept to explain to anyone new to fandom.

The Trill were first introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and have been a have since become staple of the franchise. We even got to see the ancient underground pools where Trill went to better understand, or sometimes heal, the symbiont within them.

Notable Trill in Star Trek

However, Deep Space Nine didn’t just introduce the Trill or their cultural practices. The series gave us the most famous Trill of all: Jadzia Dax. She was the First Officer and BFF of Captain Sisko. She was also the closest that many transgender Star Trek fans had ever gotten to complex representation in a popular sci-fi series.

As much as we love (and miss) her, though, Jadzia was not the only Trill to get into space shenanigans like time travel and facing one’s own insecurities. She came from a long line of Trill who’d joined with the Dax symbiont. Some of whom we met in Deep Space Nine , like the incorrigible Curzon or the emphasis Ezri.

Then, of course, there’s Barnes in Lower Decks and Gray Tal in Discovery . Technically, there’s also Adira Tal but that complicated history is for another time. Just know that explaining the Trill of Star Trek just got a little easier. You’re welcome!

From Star Trek: Theurgy Wiki

• Kestra Pren
• Zaryn Arn (KIA)
• Sephiria Arn, callsign "Scylla" (KIA)
• Kaylon Jeen (KIA)
• Edena Rez (KIA)
• Vereyn Kiiz (KIA)
• Komial Dotnihl (KIA)
• Derik Veradin (KIA)
• Kanti MacTavish, callsign "Gun-Shy" (KIA)

The Trill (or Trills) were a humanoid species native to the planet Trill. They appeared almost identical to Humans, but for rows of spots running down the sides of their bodies, from head to toe. However, this superficial similarity concealed a considerable difference — the Trill were capable of bonding with a symbiotic organism known as a symbiont, creating a distinct being from the two individual creatures. The symbionts could live for many centuries, and were placed with successive hosts, carrying the memories and knowledge of previous hosts into a new joining with each new generation. This fact wasn’t widely known outside the Trill themselves, but it wasn’t a secret — it simply wasn’t widely discussed, and the number of joined Trill was relatively small. The Trill had been part of the Federation for well over a century as of 2381, with several renowned Trill serving important roles in shaping the Federation . The Trill, as a culture, tended to be focused on intellectual pursuits first and foremost, as learning and wisdom were prized by the symbionts in their hosts.

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Published Apr 29, 2024

29 Years Ago, Deep Space Nine Created The Coolest Trill Canon

From 'Facets' to Discovery, the zhian'tara abides.

StarTrek.com

As a metaphor for the spectrum of human experiences, the Trill are one of Star Trek 's most enduring concepts. But the literal, in-universe workings of the Trill also represent impressive world-building, all of which truly came into its own in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Yes, the Trill were invented for the 1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " The Host ," but the most intricate and downright cool aspects of Trill culture were expanded throughout Deep Space Nine thanks to the stories of Jadzia Dax, Ezri Dax, and the Trill hosts that came before.

On June 12, 1995, one episode leveled-up Trill canon like no previous episode had before. Before this episode, without flashbacks, or characters reminiscing, previous Trill hosts were hard for the audience to access. But, right at the end of Season 3, the Deep Space Nine episode " Facets " changed everything.

"Facets"

Today, Star Trek: Discovery inherited quite a bit of useful lore from "Facets," and the recent episode, " Jinaal ," even gives us touches of what made "Facets" so compelling to begin with. Here’s why this groundbreaking DS9 episode is so utterly fantastic, and influential to this day.

On the surface, "Facets" is a wacky sci-fi set-up in which Jadzia asks to "borrow" the bodies of her best friends. But instead of a Freaky Friday (or " Spock Amok ") style switcheroo, "Facets" is a deeper story, all about Jadzia meeting her previous hosts, physically , instead of those memories just existing inside of her.

Luckily, this doesn’t require her symbiont to be moved out of her body, because the zhian'tara  — a nifty Trill ritual — allows the the personality of one of Dax's previous hosts to be "temporarily removed from the symbiont and imprinted," via telepathy, onto another person. Jadzia Dax chooses the seven people she's closest to on the space station, and then, we, briefly, get to see other Daxes in the bodies of Quark, O’Brien, Bashir, Sisko, Kira, Odo, and Leeta.

While Odo merging with the personality of Curzon Dax is the most dramatic, and enduring aspect of "Facets," the significance of this episode cannot be overstated not just for the creation of a very profound Trill ability, but because this episode snuck Leeta (Chase Masterson) into the Star Trek family forever.

At the time "Facets" was written, Leeta had only appeared in one episode previously, very briefly in the episode " Explorers ." But, suddenly, in the penultimate episode of Season 3, "Facets" retroactively established that Leeta, someone who worked at the Dabo tables in Quark's bar, was very good friends with Jadzia Dax.

"I thought I was only going to be in one episode," Chase Masterson revealed in 2020, on the DISCO Nights podcast . "It was my second episode! Suddenly, I got a call from wardrobe that I was going to be Emony Dax, and I was like, 'What’s that mean?'"

In the episode, Masterson plays Leeta, of course, but, through the zhian'tara , also plays Emony. In the Trek timeline, Emony was an Olympic gymnast who lived in the 23rd Century, and, as we later learned in " Trials and Tribble-ations " was also cozy with Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. So, thanks to "Facets" and the zhian'tara , not only did we get details about Emony Dax, but also, later, a connection between DS9 and The Original Series . And even though we never saw Leeta and Dax growing closer on-screen prior to this episode, bringing Chase Masteron back as Leeta had a massive impact on Star Trek fandom. "It kinda meant I was in the group," Masterson remembers. "I felt lucky and of course, it changed everything."

Fans who attend conventions and events like Star Trek: The Cruise are fully aware of just how active and integral Masterson is to modern Trek fandom. As a co-founder of the  Pop Culture Hero Coalition , Masterson helped create an anti-bullying program which is the only social emotional learning program used by the YMCA nationwide. Would any of this have happened if Chase Masteron hadn’t been brought into the family in "Facets"? It seems unlikely!

Masteron remembers "Facets" as an "intense episode," and it's that intensity which made it such an important part of Star Trek history. In fact, the emotionally-charged nature of "Facets" is part of what made Discovery ' s recent zhian'tara episode so compelling.

"Jinaal"

When Dr. Culber takes on the memories of the titular “Jinaal," we certainly get shades of Curzon Dax in Odo's body. Jinaal is direct, jovial, and more than a little evasive. Like Curzon inhabiting Odo's body, there's a ticking clock in play, a time limit to how long Jinaal can stay in Culber's body without the effect becoming more permanent.

Both Jinaal and Curzon are also hiding part of their motivations, keeping a past memory to themselves, for fear of what the current members of Starfleet might do with it. In "Facets," Curzon was keeping a very personal memory close to him, the idea he was in love with Jadzia. For Jinaal, he's not too sure Starfleet in the 32nd Century can handle the power of the Progenitor tech.

Somewhat appropriately, and in a sense, with a poetic connection, Jinaal Bix was a Trill working for Starfleet back in the 24th Century during the Dominion War; very close to the same timeframe that Jadzia had her zhian'tara in "Facets."

Did Jinaal Bix know Curzon Dax, or even Jadzia Dax? While we don’t know the exact answer to that question, Discovery ' s recent return to the zhian'tara , and to a storyline that honors Deep Space Nine isn't just fan service. It creates a meaningful connection across generations and centuries, which, appropriately, is exactly what the Trill do, too.

In Star Trek , the Trill teaches us that we're never too old — or too young — to learn something new.

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Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Star Trek: Things You Didn’t Know About The Trill

The Trill are a fascinating race in the Star Trek universe, and there's a lot that most audiences might not know about them.

There are probably more races in the heavens than the human race could imagine, but Gene Roddenberry made an impressive try. His legacy lives on in contemporary Star Trek , and in one of the more enigmatic and interesting races was introduced during The Next Generation years. The Trill first made an appearance in the TNG episode "The Host," and since then, a few have played important roles throughout the Star Trek universe

Like many other races on the show, the Trill have changed somewhat since they were first introduced. There's a lot that even hardcore fans or dedicated viewers don't know a lot about this fascinating alien species.

6 They're A "Joined" Species, But Not Everyone Has A Symbiont

The Trill are a humanoid species, and the ones that aren't "joined" with symbiotic hosts look almost exactly like humans. The race is known for its cultural practice of sharing bodies with a sentient being known as a symbiont. However, this is only taken on by a few Trills who have been deemed exceptional individuals. Those from outside of Trill society might think it's common, but this isn't the case.

RELATED: Underrated Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

The incarnations of Trill have changed over the years . The early visual markers in TNG include distinctive ridges, while those from DS9 and Discovery feature a variety of markings and skin colors. The TNG episode that introduced the race got high marks from both fans and critics, and the Trill became a permanent fixture in the show when Jazida Dex was introduced as part of the regular DS9 cast even though she didn't look exactly like her predecessor.

5 They Carry An Epi-Pen

One of the lesser-known but more serious disadvantages of joining with a symbiont is a high intolerance the host develops to any kind of insect bite. This is an obscure fact that often flies under the radar, because there aren't a lot of mosquitos in space where most of the Star Trek Trill live and work. But for those that live on planets with wildlife that have any kind of venom, it can be a death sentence.

The biochemical changes that take place in a Trill's nervous system cause this extreme sensitivity. The DS9 episodes "The Siege" and "A Man Alone" talked about some of these conditions unique to Trill that were joined with a symbiont.

4 Symbionts And Non-Trill Species

It was because of an emergency that Commander Riker of the Enterprise was chosen as a temporary host for a symbiont in "The Host." Until that event took place, it had been more than a thousand years since such a union had been made successfully, and it would be longer until a permanent one was attempted with a non-human host.

RELATED: Star Trek Discovery: Best Episodes (So Far)

The Trill returned in Discovery with the character of Adira, a non-Trill who joined with a symbiont. This was the first time in more than 2000 years, and it was significant that this happened after the Burn, a galaxy-wide event that was devastating to the Trill and their symbionts alike.

3 The Symbiosis Commission

The joining of a humanoid Trill with a symbiont isn't something that happens by accident, or even just mutual agreement. It's a long and meticulous process that only admits a few, and it's a lifetime commitment that can't be reversed. Viewers who are familiar with their DS9 lore would know more about the Symbiosis Commission, their role in choosing which Trills can join with a symbiont, and the steps involved.

The group appears in a few episodes. They not only oversee the Trill Initiate program that trains worthy candidates, but watch over the young symbionts until they are mature enough to join with a host. The episodes in which they appear focus on their depth of knowledge, both scientific and spiritual, but also hint at the authoritarian nature of the organization.

2 Zhian'tara

An obscure and secretive process that's also known as the Rite of Closure, this is a ritual in which a Trill who has joined with a symbiont can communicate with the previous hosts via a form of telepathy and a few helpful friends. This helps a new host understand the memories and consciousness of the former hosts, which they now carry with them along with the symbiont. Viewers got to see this in detail thanks to the DS9 episode "Facets," which featured the character of Jadzia Dax.

RELATED: Star Trek: Best One-Off Characters In The Next Generation

Zhian'tara has been compared to the Vulcan ritual Fal-tor-pan because both use a kind of telepathy to reunite a soul, or "katra," with a living body. The crucial difference between the two is that Fal-tor-pan​​​​​​​ is permanent, but the consciousness transfer of Zhian'tara only lasts for the duration of the ritual.

1 The Trill Science Ministry

Star Trek spends a lot of time in space, and only recently with shows like Discovery have viewers seen the Trill homeworld. This is a highly advanced culture technologically, and the Trill Science Ministry was often compared to the Vulcan Science Academy in terms of prestige.

The headquarters were located on Trill, the name of the race and their homeworld, and their specialty was spatial anomalies . In the DS9 episode "Rejoined," several famous scientists from the ministry visited the space station to study artificially-made wormholes. All of them were joined with symbionts, an advantage that means years of research don't have to be lost just because someone dies.

MORE: Star Trek: Deep Space 9: Best One-Off Characters

Trill ( Star Trek )

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The Trill are a fictional species of symbiotic life forms , depicted in the Star Trek media franchise. First introduced in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , the species became a major part of the spin-off series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , which featured a Trill named Dax as one of its main characters.

Trill are depicted as comprising a humanoid host, and a worm-shaped symbiote that is implanted in the host's abdomen. Their personalities are a combination of the host and symbiote, with the symbiote's memories providing continuity between hosts. Their home world, also named Trill, is a planet in the Alpha Quadrant , the primary setting of most of the Star Trek series.

• 1 Depicted biology
• 2 Development of appearance and characterization
• 3.1 Depiction in non-canonical novels
• 4 Joined Trill characters
• 5 External links

Depicted biology [ ]

The hosts , as they are called, are humanoids that appear much like humans, except with distinctive black or brown spots visible from the top of the head, down each side of the face and neck, and down across the shoulders and the sides of the chest, thighs, legs to their feet. Their hands are noted for being unusually cold to the touch (" A Man Alone ", DS9 Season 1). Trill are strongly allergic to insect bites, because the toxins interfere with the biochemical connections between host and symbiont (" The Siege ", DS9 Season 2).

The symbionts are helpless, worm-shaped lifeforms who contain the memories of their previous hosts, and who inhabit the abdomens of the humanoid hosts. When a host and a symbiont are joined, the resulting individual is considered a new being. When a host dies, the symbiont is transplanted into a new host. Ninety-three hours after the joining, the host and symbiont are completely interdependent, but up to then, the joining may be reversed without killing the host. A symbiont who is neither implanted into a new host nor returned to their habitat (pools of nutrient-rich liquid on the Trill homeworld) will quickly die, as will a joined Trill host within one to two days of the symbiont being removed.

In rare cases, Trill symbionts can be joined with non-Trill humanoids, but the differences in biology means the results are often unstable (" The Host ", TNG ). Commander William Riker was briefly joined to the Odan symbiont so that Odan could complete peace negotiations, and to keep Odan alive until a new Trill host could arrive. While this effort saved Odan's life, it nearly caused Riker's death.

Development of appearance and characterization [ ]

Odan, a Trill as seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation

In the first appearance of Trill in the TNG episode " The Host ", Trill were depicted physically quite differently than their later appearances. Also, they were unable to be safely transported via transporter , a weakness not shown in later appearances when Trill became a regularly used race. No explanation of the differences is ever given onscreen, but according to an article on startrek.com, humanoid Trills are actually composed of at least two races that can be used as hosts for the symbiont. It is also revealed in this episode that humans can also serve as temporary hosts to the symbionts when Commander William Riker hosted Odan's symbiont. The crew's general unfamiliarity with the race is a minor contradiction with later episodes, which stated that the Trill (such as Curzon Dax) had been working with the Federation regularly long before their first appearance in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ; " Trials and Tribble-ations " implied that a host of Dax was romantically involved with Leonard McCoy when the original Star Trek series character was still a college student. Other differences included the change in makeup style from a prosthetic forehead to a series of spots, although some makeup tests and sketches were made in the preproduction of Deep Space Nine using the earlier makeup style, but the actress who would play Jadzia Dax , Terry Farrell , proved allergic to the extensive prostheses, and so the new style was created. The Trill naming style, of using their host name as a first name and their symbiont name as a surname, differs from their first appearance, in which the Trill Odan was only known by that one name.

"The Joining" and Trill culture [ ]

Template:In-universe It was originally assumed that only a small fraction (0.01%) of the Trill population was capable of being joined, a myth that the Trill government continues to perpetuate. This is because the joining of the Dax symbiont with the host Joran (Curzon's predecessor) was a disaster — Joran was insane and a murderer. Joran's joining with Dax was covered up and all records of it were erased. The Trill government attempted to blame the failure on Joran's unsuitability as a host, but the truth was that Joran had passed the host screening tests and was technically a stable host — as was almost half of the Trill humanoid population. The government dares not let this information become public, lest the symbionts become a commodity to be bought, sold and fought over by the public; as long as it is widely believed that only a small fraction can become hosts, the government reasons, then such widespread hysteria can be avoided (" Equilibrium ", DS9 ).

A joined Trill is known by the given name of the host followed by the name of the symbiont: for example, when Ezri Tigan was joined with the symbiont Dax, her name became Ezri Dax .

Trill society has a taboo against resuming relationships with loved ones from one's past joining, on the principle that each life must be unique (" Rejoined ", DS9 ). This taboo apparently does not extend to non-romantic relationships (or perhaps non-Trills), since Jadzia Dax renewed Curzon Dax's friendship with Benjamin Sisko and others without comment, as Ezri Dax renewed Jadzia's friendship with the crew of Deep Space Nine. This taboo also was not yet developed at the time of the TNG episode " The Host ", which featured a romantic relationship between Odan and Dr. Crusher, which Odan wished to continue through several hosts.

Depiction in non-canonical novels [ ]

In the non- canon Deep Space Nine post-finale novels (known as the "relaunch"), it is revealed that the Trill symbionts are related to the evil parasitic species seen in the Next Generation episode " Conspiracy ". The parasites resulted from genetic tampering upon the symbionts to make them resistant to disease. However, when their creations turned evil, the Trill tried to eradicate them, leading to the parasites' vendetta against the symbionts. The appearance of Odan — Trill hosts who have no spots, but ridges on their foreheads — is also explained (in the novel Forged in Fire , by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin ), where a strain of the Klingon Augment virus (the disease responsible for the Human-like appearance of Klingons in the Original Series) managed to infect a Trill colony when it was visited by Klingon traders.

Also in the relaunch novels, it is revealed that after a few hundred years, the symbionts become incapable of any further joinings with humanoids and return to the breeding pools and the massive underground lakes that they lead to. There they can live to be many thousands of years old and of enormous size, whereupon they are referred to as the Annuated. The Trill humanoid population at large do not know this, however.

A later novel sees word getting out that almost half of the Trill population was suitable for joining and the joined Trill who had led the planet's culture and society for hundreds of years were no more special than the others. A subsequent terrorist attack by non-joined Trills using an EMP-like bomb kills many symbionts and joined Trills. The planet's leader then announces a moratorium on new joinings and, as a sign of good faith, has her own symbiont taken out using new technology capable of removing it without killing the host.

Joined Trill characters [ ]

• Lenara Kahn

External links [ ]

• Trill at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki )

Template:Star Trek races Template:Star Trek

• 1 List of Decepticons
• 2 Thirteen (Transformers)
• 3 Paul Atreides

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

Trill (comic)

• View history

• 1 Description
• 2.1 Characters
• 2.2 Locations
• 2.3 Races and cultures
• 2.4 States and organizations
• 2.5.1 Lifeforms
• 2.5.2.1 Food and drink
• 2.6 Other references
• 3.1 Related media
• 3.2 Background
• 3.4 Connections

Description [ ]

References [ ], characters [ ].

Locations [ ]

• Hesperides I ( Hesperides star system , the galaxy 's Alpha or Beta Quadrant )
• Trill ( Trill system , Sector Trill , the galaxy 's Alpha Quadrant )

Races and cultures [ ]

States and organizations [ ], science and classification [ ], lifeforms [ ], materials and substances [ ], food and drink [ ], other references [ ], appendices [ ], related media [ ].

• See also: Alien Spotlight
• See also: Worlds of DS9 : Trill: Unjoined

Background [ ]

Although canon Star Trek is fairly consistent referring to " symbionts ", this work uses a differing terminology, " symbiote ". The term has been used before, such as in The Conquered .

Connections [ ]

• 1 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)
• 3 Odyssey class

The Host (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Continuity
• 3.5 Reception
• 3.6 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.5 Stunt double
• 4.6 Photo doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8 References
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

The USS Enterprise -D is en route to Peliar Zel to mediate a critical dispute between the Alpha and Beta moons. A Trill ambassador , Odan , is aboard to mediate the negotiations. He and Dr. Crusher have initiated a romance and quickly fallen in love. However, they keep it to themselves and when Data nearly walks in on them when they are kissing in the turbolift , they become a little nervous. Odan feigns sickness to retreat to his quarters while Dr. Crusher leaves with Data to suggest inputting figures into a medical monitor to keep him busy so that she can meet up with Odan.

Odan, in his quarters, opens his shirt showing a bulge protruding. He applies a hypospray to relieve the stress.

Act One [ ]

Crusher and Odan spend time together in Odan's quarters, holding and kissing each other. They recall meeting each other only ten days prior and Odan remembers thinking that Crusher was nothing but ice through to her bones. They kiss some more until Crusher tells the ambassador that she has to leave to take a look at Data's projections. Odan asks if they can meet up together in the evening when Captain Picard summons the ambassador to the observation lounge , where Governor Leka Trion is arriving.

The discord between the inhabitants of the two moons is revealed, which is that the Alpha moon has tapped into Peliar Zel's magnetic field , which gives them an exclusively rich power source, but in turn is causing severe global warming conditions on the Beta moon. The negotiations to resolve the conflict are to begin soon but Odan insists that he disembark to the planet only by the shuttle Hawking , rather than by transporter , even though he is made aware by Trion that many radical factions may try to block the negotiations by any means necessary. After everyone leaves, Picard asks what Troi is sensing. Troi informs him that Odan is giving off a mix of emotions.

In the meantime, Dr. Crusher is getting ready to meet Odan that night by treating herself at the spa on the ship. Counselor Troi goes in for some kind of treatment as well and sees her, remarking that it wasn't common to see her there. Troi also notes that Crusher must be in love since she's "glowing."

Odan goes to Picard in his ready room and thanks him for the latest assistance in the situation with Peliar Zel and to ask about "Dr. Beverly" and how committed she is to remain in Starfleet . Picard, taken aback a little bit, replies that he cannot presume to speak for her. There is a call saying that a shuttle is ready for Ambassador Odan. Odan gives Crusher a rose before he leaves for Peliar Zel. When the Hawking with Odan and Riker launches, it is attacked by an unknown ship from one of the moons, seriously injuring Odan. Riker barely gets back to the Enterprise in the shuttle in one piece.

When Odan is returned to the ship, Dr. Crusher and the medical staff attend to Odan. Crusher hypothesizes that there may be a parasite at play. Odan wakes and informs her that his body is just a host, and that she must make sure the parasite lives.

Act Two [ ]

Crusher learns that the Trill are a joined species , a symbiont and a host , and this was the reason why he did not want to be beamed to the surface – it would have injured the symbiont. He asks her to contact Trill to urgently send another host body. Not even Dr. Crusher was aware what Odan really was. Odan's host body dies of the injuries, even though the symbiont being Odan is still alive.

In the observation lounge, Crusher explains what just happened. The Trill say that another host will be there in 40 hours. However, as Dr. Crusher explains, the symbiont cannot survive long enough for the new host to arrive. Though no Human has ever hosted a Trill symbiont before, Riker volunteers to be a temporary host, both to save the Trill symbiont and continue with the mission to avert war.

Crusher and Ogawa attempt to implant the symbiont in Riker, making the incision and placing the symbiont inside. Riker feels strange sensations and undergoes irregular brain wave patterns . After a while, it is apparently successful, as Riker calls her "Doctor Beverly."

Act Three [ ]

The new Odan talks to Trion from the bridge. She must convince the participants in the negotiation that he is Odan, and not as a Starfleet officer with possibly his own agenda. She says she will try. Odan leaves to go to his quarters to get some rest.

Dr. Crusher goes to tend to him. On a personal level, she feels confused and betrayed, since Odan still loves her, but the Odan Dr. Crusher loves now lives in Riker's body – a Riker she has known for many years as nothing but a good friend. She avoids his advances while he attempts to reconnect with her, even though the new Odan reiterates that even though his body has changed, he still loves her.

In a later conversation she has with Counselor Troi in Ten Forward , Dr. Crusher wonders what it was that she loved about Odan: his eyes, his hands, his mouth… but those things are all gone and if that is all there was, then she should mourn him and go on, except she knows that it was more than that for she felt completely free with him, unguarded, at ease with herself. There were so many things that made him special to her, and she wonders where they are, whether they are still here, alive in Will Riker. She simply has a hard time accepting him in this romantic capacity and asks Troi for advice.

While they are in conversation, Odan steps into Ten Forward, but Crusher is adamant not to look at him, asking Troi to keep talking. Troi tells her about the first man she ever loved, her father , who was strong and tall and chased away the monsters from under her bed and sang to her and kept her safe. And he went away. Troi tells Crusher what she wouldn't give to hear those songs again, and even though she never will, she still can feel his warmth and his love, as though he were there with her. She tells Crusher that if she can feel those things from the man they know as Will Riker, she should accept that love and go to him. Crusher, moved, finally turns to look at Odan, standing near the bar . They both gaze longingly at each other.

Act Four [ ]

Trion arrives to the observation lounge with Kalin Trose of Alpha Moon and Lathal Bine of Beta Moon. Odan must convince them that he is in fact Odan and not the Enterprise 's first officer, so he recounts their history of Trose and Bine's aunt thirty years ago, along with a little-known radical plot that developed and Trose's role in stopping it. Bine accepts Odan, but Trose must confer with his people, so Odan gives him eight hours and they leave. Then, Riker grabs his head, obviously in pain and goes to sickbay .

There, Crusher examines him and only guesses that Riker's body is rejecting Odan, as it is overworked and its immune system under attack. Crusher can give him an immunosuppressant , but that won't correct the underlying cause. Picard leaves to wait for Odan in his ready room. Odan makes an advance on Crusher, but she still can't allow it, so Odan leaves.

Picard informs Odan that the representatives agreed to accept him as mediator. Odan isn't surprised, calling them reasonable people trapped in their anger. Picard pauses during the conversation, saying that, for a moment, Odan sounded just like Riker, to which he is quietly reminded of Crusher's response earlier. Picard says a new host will arrive within eighteen hours, and Odan says he will push on.

Dr. Crusher, still trying to figure out her feelings, retires to her quarters confused. After brooding over her thoughts and feelings for a while she stands up and goes to Odan's quarters to reunite with him.

Act Five [ ]

Despite increasing symptoms of rejection from Riker's body, Odan carries on. The effects of Crusher's injections are smaller with each dose, and Odan says they are damaging to Riker in any case. He must conduct negotiations today, and Odan insists that he be removed from Riker by the end of the day regardless of whether or not the new host has arrived in time. Odan leaves, and Picard offers a hand to Crusher, knowing the pain she is going through. They embrace each other.

" It was worth it… they will not go to war. "

After six hours, Worf informs them that the Trill ship is experiencing difficulty and won't arrive for nine hours. Just then, Odan comes from the observation lounge, saying "it was worth it" and collapses. He was successful and managed to prevent an inter-planetary war. Picard immediately orders Worf to escort the Alpha and Beta Moon representatives off the ship and orders an intercept of the Trill ship at warp nine, but that leaves two hours time. Crusher gave her word she would remove the symbiont from Riker, so they head to sickbay.

Dr. Crusher removes the symbiont in time to save Riker and places it in stasis . After some time, the new host, Kareel , arrives ready to accept it. Crusher is surprised to find out, however, that the body is female, and so the love between Dr. Crusher and Odan arrives at an insurmountable obstacle for Crusher. She confesses that she still loves Odan, but she is not accustomed to these kinds of changes. Maybe it is a Human failing, she states, but she simply "can't keep up" with them; she can't live with that kind of an uncertainty. She goes on to say that perhaps some day, Humankind's ability to love won't be so limited. Kareel Odan says that she understands and, kissing Crusher's hand one last time in the same way that she used to do, she affirms that she will never forget her.

Log entries [ ]

• Personal log, Beverly Crusher
• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2367

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Do you know when I first met the formidable Dr. Beverly, uh… what ten days ago? " " Mmm. " " I thought to myself, "This woman is ice … through to her bones!" " " Mm-hm. " " Who would have ever guessed instead of ice… there is fire? "

" I hope Dr. Crusher was able to help you with your headache. " " Uh… thank you. Actually, she was."

" Beverly… you're in love. " " Sometimes, I wish you weren't so empathic. " (whispering) " I don't think it's really a secret. " " It isn't? " (whispering) " You've been glowing. " " Oh. " (pause) " Must be the astringent. "

" Oh, all I know is I haven't felt this way for a long time. " " And you like it. " " I like it. "

" This body is just a host. I am that parasite. That is what must survive. "

" The risk is too great, commander. " " Weigh it against the prospect of war. " " It's your choice, Will. " " Let's get to it. "

" Speak softly, governor. Those who cannot hear an angry shout, may strain to hear a whisper. "

" You're going to be all right. How do you feel? " " I'm fine. You look a little tired, Dr. Beverly. "

" If you can feel those things from the man we know as Will Riker, accept them. Accept the love. "

" Please let me touch you. Just for a moment. " " No, please. "

" And, yes, I am still Odan and I still love you. I cannot imagine that ever changing. "

" Perhaps it is a Human failing, but we are not accustomed to these kinds of changes. I can't keep up. How long will you have this host? What would the next one be? I can't live with that kind of uncertainty. Perhaps, someday, our ability to love won't be so limited."

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Final draft script: 1 March 1991 [1]
• Filmed: 8 March 1991 – 19 March 1991
• Second unit and insert shots filmed: 18 April 1991
• Premiere airdate: 13 May 1991
• First UK airdate: 23 November 1994

Story and script [ ]

• The working title for this episode was "E Pluribus Unum", Latin for "out of many, one". [2]
• The original story focused on the war negotiations and contained no romantic component. Ronald D. Moore recalled, " The addition of Beverly to that story is the vital component. A lot of freelancers would take that premise and say this is a show about the ambassador and the struggles of the parasitic creature and the war negotiations. No one really cares about that. But when it becomes a Beverly problem, who's in the position with the problem, and to some extent Riker, that's how it became a Star Trek story. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 221)
• Brannon Braga characterized the genesis of the episode as "the most repulsive story ever pitched to us." He added, " Being in love with someone is not very fresh. Having the parasite as the host is. It was not originally pitched as a love story, it was pitched as a squirmy worm who's really the intelligence. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 221)
• Though the episode's writing credit is given to Michel Horvat , the shooting script was actually written primarily by Jeri Taylor , who is the solely credited writer on the script. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission , p. 142; [3] )

Production [ ]

• "The Host" was filmed between Friday 8 March 1991 and Tuesday 19 March 1991 on Paramount Stage 8 and 9 . Second unit and insert shots were filmed on Thursday 18 April 1991 on Paramount Stage 9.
• This was the first Star Trek episode directed by Marvin V. Rush . Rush, a director of photography on projects in and out of Star Trek , recalled that much effort went into shooting the episode so Gates McFadden's late-term pregnancy was always hidden. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 165)) Jonathan Frakes noted, " The episode had to be shot in such a way that we couldn't see her stomach. They would not address the fact that the actress was pregnant. It was an interesting problem. You really found yourself more concerned with hiding her with furniture or with your body, and shooting from her boobs up. That was very restrictive. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 221)

Continuity [ ]

• This episode shows the Enterprise -D barbershop also has a salon area.
• The graphic on Picard's monitor before he has his conversation with Odan is the Tyken's Rift from " Night Terrors ".
• This is the only episode of TNG in which an officer on the bridge asks the computer what time it is.
• The symbiotic species known as the Trill make their first appearance in this episode. They were later featured in more detail in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , though aside from the existence of the symbiont, the Trill featured in this episode share no resemblance to those of Deep Space Nine, physically or otherwise.
• Odan refuses to be transported in this episode, and Dr. Crusher affirms the notion that using a transporter would damage the Trill symbiont. This limitation is never touched upon again in any follow-up episode in Star Trek canon , as Jadzia , Ezri , and others use the transporter freely. See the Trill article for more information.

Reception [ ]

• Jeri Taylor was pleased with the final episode. She commented, " I poured a lot of good stuff into it, and everything came together. It became a wonderful, memorable episode. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission , p. 142)
• Despite deeming the original pitch of this episode as having been "repulsive," Brannon Braga ultimately approved of the installment, finding it "ironic" that it " ended up being the most touching love story and that's why this show is unique. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 221)
• Marvin Rush disagreed with claims that Beverly's rejection of Odan in a female body was homophobic. He stated, " Most of the people that I have talked to thought the show worked pretty well and were entertained. Some commented that they were unhappy with the ending because it was left a question. There was, or could have been, a sort of homosexual aspect to it and we chose not to go that route with it.

" I felt that it was more about the nature of love, why we love and what prevents us from loving. To me the best analogy is if your beloved turned into a cockroach, could you love a cockroach? It's the same person, if the person is the personality and core within, but can you get past the outside? We as Humans are affected by the whole package, including the outside shell, and Gates in her last scene talks about maybe someday our ability to love won't be so limited. She says mankind may one day be able to deal with this, But I can't. To me that is about the nature of love and I think it's an interesting, worthy discussion. Rather than deal with the fact it was because of any homosexual bent per se, it's just that in our culture and our society people who are heterosexual who want the companionship of a male because they are female, wouldn't be able to deal with that opposite situation. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 221)

• Gates McFadden recalled, " Some people were outraged at any hint of homosexuality in this episode. " (" Inside the Star Trek Archives – Cast Member Hides Pregnancy ", TNG Season 4 DVD special features) At an Austin, Texas convention in 2012 , McFadden stated that, while she loved the episode, she wished Crusher's first romantic episode would have been put off until after her pregnancy. [4]
• A mission report for this episode, by John Sayers, was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 17 , pp. 38-41.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 49, 8 June 1992
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 4.8, 1 October 2001
• As part of the TNG Season 4 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• Barbara Tarbuck as Leka Trion
• Nicole Orth-Pallavicini as Kareel Odan
• William Newman as Kalin Trose
• Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa
• Franc Luz as " Odan "

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Arratia as Alfonse Pacelli
• Rachen Assapiomonwait as Nelson
• Majel Barrett as USS Enterprise -D computer voice
• Joe Baumann as Garvey
• Karin Baxter as operations ensign
• Thomas J. Booth as civilian
• Michael Braveheart as Martinez
• Max Cervantes as operations officer
• Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae
• Cooper as Reel
• Buddy Daniels Friedman as Bolian barber
• Gerard David as operations ensign
• Wendy Davies as sciences officer
• Denise Deuschle as sciences officer
• Jeremy Doyle as operations ensign
• Elliot Durant III as operations ensign
• A. Flores as sciences officer
• Keith Gearhart as sciences officer
• Michele Gerren as civilian
• Vanessa Grayson as beauty attendant
• Robert Harper as Lathal Bine
• Grace Harrell as operations ensign
• Melanie Hathorn as sciences officer
• Dean Hirner as Ten Forward waiter
• Mark Lentry as civilian
• Debbie Marsh as command officer
• Michael Moorehead as sciences ensign
• Ivonne Perez as civilian
• Randy Pflug as Jones
• Denise Lynne Roberts as Patti
• Joycelyn Robinson as Gates
• Richard Sarstedt as command officer
• Talbot as Ten Forward waitress
• Uchizono as command officer
• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
• Natalie Wood as Bailey
• Harry Young as sciences officer
• Female sciences officer (voice)
• Taggert (voice)

Stunt double [ ]

• Chris Doyle as stunt double for Franc Luz

Photo doubles [ ]

• Cameron as photo double for Gates McFadden
• Sandy Goldman as photo double for Nicole Orth-Pallavicini

Stand-ins [ ]

• Karin Baxter – stand-in for Barbara Tarbuck
• Brett – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Cameron – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Jeremy Doyle – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes and Franc Luz
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner , Franc Luz , and Robert Harper
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• Guy Vardaman – stand-in for Franc Luz and William Newman
• James Washington – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Unknown actress – stand-in for Nicole Orth-Pallavicini
• Unknown actress – stand-in for Patti Yasutake

References [ ]

19th century ; 2321 ; 2324 ; 2332 ; 2337 ; " a little "; " a lot "; ability ; accusation ; agreement ; Alexander ; " all right "; Alpha moon ; Alpha Moon radical ; Alphans ; ambassador ; analysis ; Ancient Philosophies ; Andrew ; anger ; answer ; argument ; arm ; arrival ; artist ; " as a result "; " as well "; " as you wish "; assassination ; " at ease "; " at least "; " at night "; " at work "; attack ; aunt ; back-up stabilizer ; balso tonic ; barbershop ; bay doors ; beauty ; bed ; Beta moon ; Betans ; Betan ship ; blood ; blood count ; blood pressure ; body ; Bolians ; bone ; brain wave ; brother ; carrier ; cerebral blood flow ; cerebrospinal fluid ; children ; choice ; colgonite astringent ; combat ; compromise ; computer ; consciousness ; Crusher, Wesley ; custom ; day ; daydream ; deception ; degree : discomfort ; discussion ; dizziness ; drug ; Earth ; electroencephalography ( EEG ); emergency ; emissary ; emotion ; empathy ; energy source ; eosinophilia ; escort vessel ; " excuse me "; evaporation ; exobiology ; exploratory surgery ; eye ; faction ; fear ; Federation ; feeling ; fibrillation ; fire ; five card draw ; flower ; forehead ; formula ; generation ; genocide ; global warming ; governor ; grown up ; hail ; hand ; " hang on "; " have a safe trip "; Hawking ; headache ; health ; heart ; heart rate ; heat ; " hello "; " here we go "; hero worship ; history book ; host ; hour ; hull ; Human ; hundred : hypospray ; " I don't care "; " I don't think so "; ice ; idea ; immune system ; immunosuppressant ; implantation ; " in general "; " in love "; " in orbit "; incorporation ; infatuation ; information ; inhabitant ; injection ; injury ; instinct ; ionosphere ; Jennifer ; job ; " just in case "; " keep my distance "; " keep my mind on "; " kind of "; kindness ; laser scalpel ; Lathal Bine's aunt ; lemon tea ; letter ; listening ; local anesthetic ; location ; love ; lung disease ; lymphocyte ; magnetic field ; magnetospheric energy tap ( magnetosphere ); marriage ; mediation ; medical emergency ; medical monitor ; medical school ; meeting ; memory ; metabolic booster ; metal ; metrazene ; Midsummer Night's Dream, A ; milligram ; millennium ; minute ; mission ; molecular structure ; molecular transport ; monster ; mouth ; negotiation ; " never mind "; " no doubt "; " not much "; number one ; obstructionist ; Odan ; Odan's first host ; " of course "; " of course not "; " on board "; " on my way "; " on record "; operation ; orbit ; organism ; pain ; pallor ; parasite ; parasitic infection ; passion ; patient ; peace ; Peliar system ; Peliar Zel II ; Pelians ; percent ; person ; phaser bank ; place ; plan ; plot ; port ; power ; problem ; projection ; pulse ; quarrel ; rejection ; relationship ; representative ; respect ; result ; " right away "; risk ; rose ; safety ; scientist ; sculpture ; second ; secret ; security clearance ; sedimentation rate ; senior staff ; sensation ; shield range ; shock ; shuttle preflight sequence ; shuttlebay ; shuttlecraft ; silence ; singing ; " sit down "; skill ; sleep ; soccer ; soccer field ; soccer player ; smile ; song ; species ; Starfleet ; stasis ; Stefan ; subspace message ; surface ( ground ); symptom ; tactic ; temperature ; thing ; thought ; threat ; thruster ; time ; tractor beam ; transporter ; treatment ; treaty ; Trill ; Trill diagnostic tool ; Trill symbiont ; Trill transport ; Troi, Ian Andrew ; troop ; turbolift ; twin ; " under attack ": " very well "; visual contact ; vital signs ( vital functions ); volunteering ; warmth ; week ; " well done "; white blood cell ; year ; youth

External links [ ]

• " The Host " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " The Host " at Wikipedia
• "The Host" at StarTrek.com
• " The Host " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "The Host" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " The Host " at the Internet Movie Database
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)