star trek dog alien episode

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The Dogs of Star Trek

I thought it would be fun to do a retrospective of the most memorable dogs to appear in the various Star Trek series. From beloved companions of captains and Klingon warriors, to wild alien creatures, and sly shape-shifters, there are some great moments featuring dogs (and sometimes very fictional “dogs”) in each series.

Star Trek: The Original Series Episode 1.5 “ The Enemy Within ” 1966

Something goes horribly awry with the ship’s transporter, causing it to beam back two versions of each life form: one good and one evil. This is probably the most memorable use of a dog on a Star Trek episode. The dog actor in this episode portrays an “alien animal specimen,” and ultimately, embodies the epitome of Star Trek camp.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode 6.13 “ Aquiel “  1993

This episode is burned into my memory as containing the one and only tv moment to deeply traumatize my little sister. In this episode, ship engineer Geordi grows close to the prime suspect in a murder investigation. Spoiler: it turns out, her dog is host to a body-snatching alien organism, who is the true killer. Geordi witnesses the dog morph into the alien’s natural blob-like state, which then proceeds to attack him. I guess the idea of a cute dog suddenly morphing into a murderous blob really hit a nerve with my then 6-year-old sister. The dog in this episode was played by Friday, a terrier mix.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Movie “ Generations”  1994

In the Star Trek movie “ Generations ,” Captain Kirk is transported into the “Nexus,” which is an energy ribbon that allows those who enter it to transcend time. Kirk is able to re-visit loved ones from his past, including his wife, his children, and his beloved great dane  Butler . During the filming of the movie William Shatner apparently requested that Kirk’s dog be called Butler, because he had recently lost his own dog of that name. Spoiler: The scene with Kirk and Butler occurs shortly before his death.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Episode 4.08 “ Little Green Men” 1995

In this episode, Odo, a changeling and the security chief of Deep Space Nine, spies on questionable Ferengi business meetings multiple times by taking the form of a German Shepard.

Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise Multiple Episodes 1995-2005

On Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001), Captain Janeway frequently made references to her dog Mollie, who was an Irish Setter. On Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005), Captain Jonathan Archer’s Beagle  Porthos  makes many appearances. Many other canine companions are also mentioned throughout Enterprise .

Klingon Targs Multiple Episodes, Multiple Series  1987-2001

And finally, although they are not technically dogs , I can’t omit the Klingon dog-like Targs. Although Targs are also hunted by Klingons for sport and food, many prominent Klingons have fond memories of these boar-like beasts as highly valued pets and companions. General Martok once said his Targ was “a filthy, mangy beast, but in his bony breast beat the heart of a warrior.” Worf (below) also mentioned having had a Targ as a child.

…Do you have memories of the dogs of  Star Trek ? Although these moments were few and far between, they stand out in my memory. And, as a side note, I definitely think of myself and Miles as being akin to Klingon and Targ.

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Emma Kesler, CDBC, CPDT-KA

Emma Kesler, CDBC, CPDT-KA is an award-winning Certified Dog Behavior Consultant who has worked with clients around the world for over a decade. Emma dedicates her work at Terrier Academy to terriers, as they are underserved in the dog behavior and training world. Emma shares her life with her Welsh Terrier copilot Miles.

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I LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH!!! Thank you Captain Miles and Lieutenant Commander Emma!

In one episode of Star Trek Voyager, an alien scientist actually owned a dog.

An alien also owned a dog on Risa in Star Trek Enterprise.

Why are dogs more widespread than humans?

Because they’re good dogs, Amoraq.

There are puppies…….Q tries to seduce Janeway with puppies in an STV episode; and in STTNG there is a scene with Troi’s son Alexander playing with puppies, Golden Retrievers.

STV episode 11, season 3, “The Q and the Grey”

I am watching right now and one of the items Q gifts Janeway when trying to woo her is a puppy. Not sure if it’s an Irish Setter like her Mollie is back in the Alpha Quadrant or a dark red golden, but the poor pup – like Janeway – wants nothing to do with Q either!

Y’all forgot Voyager “The Q and the Grey” (Irish setter puppy)

This is for all of the wild dogs out there, for the people who love them, and for those who want get to know them. You've come to the right place. 🐶

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Everything We Know About The Husnock, One Of Star Trek's Most Mysterious Alien Races

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Survivors" (October 9, 1989), the U.S.S. Enterprise discovered a mystery. On the planet Delta Rana IV — otherwise uninhabited and whose surface was devastated by an ancient cataclysm — a single house sat. Beaming down, the Enterprise crew found a well-kemp lawn, a large white home, and a kindly elderly couple named Kevin and Rishon Uxbridge (John Anderson and Anne Haney). While polite and welcoming, the Uxbridges are cagey about their circumstances. How are they the only people alive on the whole planet, and how can they merely enjoy teatime and lawn mowing without acknowledging their utter isolation? 

Eventually, of course, the truth would come out. Kevin Uxbridge was, in fact, a member of a species called the Douwd, a species of pure energy, possessed of godlike powers. He transformed into a humanoid and fell in love with Rishon, living with her in connubial bliss for years. Many years ago, however, the colony on Delta Rana IV was attacked by a vicious species called the Husnock, who killed all 11,000 colonists, including Rishon. Kevin initially refused to fight the Husnock because his species lives by a strict code of pacifism, but the death of Rishon devastated him. In a moment of vengeful pique, Kevin used his powers to reach out into the galaxy and wipe out every single member of the Husnock race, 50 billion of them. He committed genocide. 

Kevin recreated his home and an illusion of Rishon, hoping to live quietly as penance for his unimaginable crime. Unable to punish or incarcerate a god, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) merely leaves Kevin in peace. 

What we never learn anything about is the Husnock. All Trekkies ever saw was a mysterious warship. What other information can we find?

The Husnock

Indeed, the mysterious warship that appears throughout "The Survivors" isn't even definitively identified as a Husnock ship. Audiences later learned that the warship was another one of Kevin Uxbridge's illusions, summoned to scare off the Enterprise and leave Kevin alone. We are left to infer that Kevin's illusion was extrapolated from Husnock warships, but that may be a foolhardy assumption. 

There are no pictures of the Husnock anywhere in "The Survivors," and there is no description as to what they looked like. In dialogue, they were merely called "a species of hideous intelligence, who knew only aggression and destruction." By extrapolation, Trekkies have found that the Husnock were killed off in the year 2366, only shortly before the events of the episode. The Federation seemed to have little information about the Husnock. 

The only information given about the Husnock has to be derived from the vast sea of "Star Trek" expanded universe lore. In the late 2010s, there was a series of tie-in "Star Trek" novels called "Star Trek: Titan," an anthology that followed the adventures of Captain Riker commanding the titular ship. In David Mack's 2017 "Titan" novel "Fortune of War," the Husnock were finally brought back in their own central story, albeit after their extinction.

"Fortune of War" is set 20 years after the events of "The Survivors" and follows the U.S.S. Titan on an exploration mission of all the abandoned Husnock technology that was abandoned when Kevin wiped them from existence. Husnock warships still possessed a great deal of destructive potential, and it was up to Admiral Riker, a new character named Captain Vale and the Titan crew to keep Husnick ships from falling into the wrong hands. 

'Fortune of War'

By the description in "Fortune of War," the Husnock were essentially evil octopodes. Or, more accurately septapodes. They walked around on four tentacles and used the other three as their arms. They had beak-like mouths and their blood was a dark blue color. They were also said to have multiple hearts, although an exact number was not given. They also seemed to oversee a vast portion of space called the Husnock Star Kingdom, implying that their government was a monarchy. 

"Fortune of War" also described the extinction of the Husnock as they personally experienced it, and it was similar to Thanos' mass murder in "Avengers: Infinity War," but a lot more painful. Evidently, Kevin Uxbridge projected himself into the minds of all 50 billion Husnock simultaneously to simply say "For Rishon" and show them all the image of Rishon being killed in the Husnock attack. He then essentially set them all on fire, burning them all into ash. 

It's a bit grim, but the Husnock warship appeared in "Star Trek Online," the popular 2010 video game. That game endeavored to include every single character and ship that ever appeared in "Star Trek," and to get the Husnock ships involved, a new narrative was invented. It seems that those Husnock ships that the Titan was trying to protect in "Fortune of War" had already been salvaged and put into combat by the Klingons, the Romulans, and even the Federation. That doesn't seem wise or even ethical, but it was a fine shorthand for a video game predicated on combat. 

Whether or not the Husnack will return remains to be seen, although one could see an enterprising screenwriter working a reference into "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

Star Trek (TV Series)

The enemy within (1966).

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• Was written by Richard Matheson, who wrote the novel I Am Legend, and six others that would be adapted into films. He also wrote the short story that became Steven Spielberg's Duel (which he himself adapted).
• Was directed by Leo Penn, father of actor Sean Penn.
• The crew are stranded on the planet because the transporter is malfunctioning. That they don't simply send down a shuttlecraft tells me that they hadn't yet created one for the series (this was the fifth episode).

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'Star Trek: Discovery' season 5 episode 2 sows the seeds of seasonal plot threads (Under the Twin Moons recap)

So far, this fifth and final season hasn't exactly exploded out of the starting blocks, but there's still time, so we remain hopeful

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Discovery" season 5, episode 2

So, as you will have gathered from watching Star Trek: Discovery's episode 1 of season 5 ,  it would appear that the primary plot is based on a past episode of "The Next Generation" (TNG). Yes indeed, no new "Star Trek" show is safe from nostalgia — and very specifically — TNG-era nostalgia. Any storyline, from any previous incarnation of " Star Trek " could've been used, but it cannot denied that it feels like we're being given what Terry Matalas and the other executive producers who are still obsessed with living in the past want, which is to relive their teens. 

The thing is, there's nothing wrong with TNG and if you watch the episode that all of this seems to be stemming from, "The Chase" (S06, E20) it's actually a pretty good installment. And in fact, it has a " Babylon 5 " quality and uses dialogue and straightforward set pieces to tell an interesting, nuanced story. (Aside from at least from one significant plot hole that is not explained.) But that was then — April 1993, to be precise — and this is now. And while it might have been fun to revisit this in a TNG-era movie for example, this ship really has passed. If you're need a refresher on how to watch Star Trek: Discovery, you can check out our Star Trek streaming guide for Paramount Plus .

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Get all the Star Trek content you can possibly handle with this free trial of Paramount Plus. Watch new shows like Star Trek: Discovery and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends.

The episode "The Chase" is a fun explainer as to why all the humanoid aliens look the same. Obviously, it's all to do with budget in the real world, but in the Star Trek universe it's because a super-advanced race of aliens — unofficially referred to as Progenitors — opted to scatter different parts of our DNA across the galaxy, which when fully evolved over millions of years time, came to form humans, Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans and the rest. When DNA strands from all of these races are combined, it unlocked a ancient holographic message. 

Related: 5 things Star Trek: Discovery season 5 needs to fix

"Life evolved on my planet before all others in this part of the galaxy. We left our world, explored the stars, and found none like ourselves. Our civilization thrived for ages, but what is the life of one race, compared to the vast stretches of cosmic time?" the unnamed humanoid alien said. "We knew that one day we would be gone, that nothing of us would survive. So, we left you. Our scientists seeded the primordial oceans of many worlds, where life was in its infancy ... The seed codes also contained this message, which we scattered in fragments on many different worlds. It was our hope that you would have to come together in fellowship and companionship to hear this message."

The potential of this was pretty big, but it was never followed up. It was rumored there might even be a connection to the Changling race and it was talked about in chat groups ... 15 years ago . And while this was a certainly an opportunity left open-ended, ready to be revisited after having been found by writers scrambling for ideas, it's also interesting to note that "The Chase" was directed by Jonathan Frakes, who as we know, is still very much involved with Nu-Trek.

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Back to "Discovery" season 5, episode 2 and possibly the biggest single, burning question is, will Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) met a death as utterly pointless as Captain Shaw, Huw and Cristóbal Rios? And now with Captain Saru (Doug Jones) leaving the USS Discovery and Raynor taking his place as first officer, Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) now at least has an antagonist close by for this adventure.

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This second episode feels a little less lost than the season premiere, although it relies rather heavily on the classic bureaucracy trope, something, you'd have to believe we'd really been able to get past in the 32nd century. Guess not. Staying with Rayner though, if his appointment to become the new First Officer of the USS Discovery just turns out to be another underused, Tarka-style antagonist, it will be a spectacular missed opportunity. But, "Discovery" does keep us guessing, that much is certain. Who'd have thought an socially awkward alien would cause all the dilithium in the galaxy to explode ? 

There are some interesting set pieces in this episode, but let's hope we don't dwell on the whole breadcrumb-trail to alien artifacts theme too long. Also, where the blazes does the energy and the matter come from to instantly form replacement phasers? Just wonderin' like. But, on the plus side, Grudge is back and so is Zora.  

In other "Star Trek" news, production on the new "Star Trek: Section 31" television movie starring Michelle Yeoh has started principal photography. Paramount Plus posted a pic on Instagram and Variety released a still. In addition to Yeoh, the cast includes Omari Hardwick ("Powers"), Kacey Rohl ("Hannibal"), Emmy Award winner Sam Richardson ("Ted Lasso"), Sven Ruygrok ("One Piece"), Robert Kazinsky ("Pacific Rim"), Humberly Gonzalez ("Ginny & Georgia") and James Hiroyuki Liao ("Barry").

However, the most interesting news is that the story appears to be set in the "lost era" of "Star Trek" — between the events of the Kirk-era movie, "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" and the TV series TNG. Arguably the most underused and interesting field of opportunity within the "Star Trek" franchise...and Kacey Rohl ("Arrow") has also joined the project as a young Rachel Garrett, the future captain of the USS Enterprise-C, from the epic TNG episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" (S03, E15) where the character was previously portrayed by Tricia O’Neil.

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" and every episode of every "Star Trek" show — with the exception of "Star Trek: Prodigy" — currently streams exclusively on Paramount Plus in the US while "Prodigy" has found a new home o n Netflix.  

Internationally, the shows are available on Paramount Plus in Australia, Latin America, the UK and South Korea, as well as on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. They also stream on Paramount Plus in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Canada, they air on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave.

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When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Star trek: discovery season 5, episode 3 ending explained.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt brings the USS Discovery to Trill for the next clue, but Moll and L'ak may be one step ahead of Burnham.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 - "Jinaal"

• Moll and L'ak are setting a trap on the USS Discovery - Adira may be in danger.
• The Progenitors' treasure was safeguarded by six secret scientists in the 24th century.
• Commander Rayner struggles to connect with the crew - Burnham seeks answers beyond the treasure.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal", brings Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery one step closer to finding the Progenitors' treasure, but little do they know Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) are making insidious moves against them. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Lauren Wilkinson and directed by Andi Armaganian, the third episode of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 splits the action between the planet Trill and Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Renne) and Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) having difficulty adjusting to their new assignments.

Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) pass a test created by Jinaal (Wilson Cruz) with flying colors. Jinaal was the host of a Trill symbiont who was alive in the 24th century, and he was part of a coalition of scientists, which included the Romulan Doctor Vellek (Michael Copeman) who hid the Progenitors' technology to protect the galaxy. A Trill ritual allowed Jinaal to occupy the body of Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), and the Trill took steps to ensure Burnham and Book were "worthy" of finding the Progenitors' treasure. However, Discovery's crew may unwittingly be walking into a trap set up by Moll and L'ak.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

What did moll attach to adira at the end of star trek: discovery season 5, episode 3, moll and l'ak are making a move on the uss discovery.

After Jinaal departed Dr. Culber's body and he, Captain Burnham, and Cleveland Booker beamed back aboard the USS Discovery, Moll secretly placed a device on the arm of Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio). The Trills were warned by Burnham that Moll and L'ak would come seeking the clue hidden on Trill, but Guardian Xi (Andreas Apergis) was certain Trill would withstand any aggressive act. But what the Trill didn't anticipate was Moll, who is human, infiltrating the Trill during their ritual and planting something on Discovery's young Ensign.

32nd-century technology in Star Trek: Discovery is made of programmable matter, which explains why Moll's device disappeared.

The tiny device Moll hid on Adira's arm quickly vanished, but there are a few possibilities for what the tech could be. The device could be a tracker of some sort ; since Moll knows Burnham found the clue on Trill, she could be ensuring that she and her lover, L'ak, will be able to follow the USS Discovery wherever it jumps to next. The device could also be some kind of communicator or a weapon that could incapacitate Adira. It may also be a tiny transporter that would allow Adira to be beamed to L'ak's ship where they could be held hostage.

Moll, who likely was incognito in the Trill caves for the duration of Star Trek: Discovery, probably overheard Adira's conversations with their love interest, Gray Tal (Ian Alexander), and their decision to break up. Adira, who is young and inexperienced, is the ideal target for Moll and L'ak to plant a device on. This may be the end of Adira and Gray's Star Trek: Discovery love story . Their breakup is also an interesting juxtaposition to Moll and L'ak, who are lovers themselves but are committed to each other and are on the same journey, unlike the young Trill and Ensign.

Everything Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 Revealed About The Progenitors' Treasure

Great steps were taken to protect the ancient power to create life.

Jinaal provided a wealth of new information about what happened to the Progenitors' treasure after the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase." According to Jinaal, in the 24th century, the President of the United Federation of Planets - possibly Jaresh-Inyo (Herschel Sparber) from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - secretly assembled a team of 6 Federation and non-Federation scientists , including Jinaal and Dr. Vellek. After years of researching the Progenitors' message, they found the ancient technology in a sector of deep space. One of the scientists died horribly when they tried to activate it.

The scientists made it their life's work to safeguard the Progenitors' technology.

The scientists decided to hide the Progenitors' treasure instead of turning it over to the Federation. At this point, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Dominion War engulfed the Alpha Quadrant, and anyone could be a Changeling. Jinaal and his colleagues made a pact and lied to the Federation about the treasure while redacting themselves from every database. The scientists made it their life's work to safeguard the Progenitors' technology, eventually creating a series of clues which they determined would deem whoever could find the treasure "worthy" of having it.

Meanwhile, on the USS Discovery, Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) decoded Dr. Vellek's Romulant tricorder and learned more about the Progenitors' treasure. Stamets was excited about the applications of the Progenitors' technology, which is billions of years old. The Progenitors could "design new lifeforms, accelerate evolution, modify ecosystems." Stamets added, "If it can create life, then, in theory, it might also be possible to re-animate dead organisms."

The Progenitors' technology sounds like the Genesis Device from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan but with even more potential to create - or destroy - life.

Saru Made A Faux Pas About Announcing His Wedding To T'Rina

Saru has a lot to learn about love and politics.

The newly-minted Ambassador Saru performed well in his first delegation meeting about the rising threat of the Breen , but he made a faux pas when it came to announcing his engagement to President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). T'Rina's political aide, Duvin (Victor Andres Trelles Turgeon), became concerned about the optics of the President of Ni'Var siding with the Kelpien Ambassador, especially when the news of their engagement becomes public. Saru listened to Duvin and got cold feet about announcing his engagement to T'Rina.

Duvin feared T'Rina's Presidential power weakening among Vulcan purists if she marries an offworlder.

Ultimately, T'Rina made Saru realize that making a public announcement is better than news of their engagement leaking out, which would make it seem like the couple were hiding something scandalous. Saru confessed his inexperience in romance and politics, but T'Rina has enough savviness for them both. Saru and T'Rina's wedding is on, and will likely take place sometime during Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Commander Rayner Will Have Trouble Fitting In With The USS Discovery Crew

Rayner's not looking to connect and make friends on discovery.

Now demoted to Commander as the new First Officer of the USS Discovery, Rayner was ordered by Captain Burnham to meet with and forge connections with the USS Discovery's crew. But Rayner was more interested in hunting Moll and L'ak , and he only met with Discovery's crew members for brief, unfriendly intervals, to the disgust of Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman). Rayner made no real inroads in connecting with Discovery's personnel, although he paid attention and made insightful observations about each Starfleet Officer.

Commander Rayner not immediately fitting in on Discovery is more realistic.

Tilly was right that Commander Rayner, who was on a new ship after an embarrassing demotion, compensated by acting boorishly to hide how difficult it was for him. To Star Trek: Discovery season 5's credit, Commander Rayner not immediately fitting in on Discovery is more realistic than the Kellerun Starfleet Officer being welcomed with open arms. Rayner will have a long road to earning the respect of the USS Discovery's crew, and vice versa, although Captain Burnham may not be pleased with how her new Number One alienated himself from her friends and family aboard the Disco.

Rayner explained he purposely kept a professional distance from his crew when he was Captain of the USS Antares.

Captain Burnham Is Searching For Something Bigger Than The Progenitors' Treasure

Michael has big questions she needs answered.

At the start of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2 , "Under the Twin Moons," Captain Burnham confessed that she used to find purpose in her missions, but now she is searching for something more. A greater meaning. Jinaal assessed this about Burnham on Trill, and Michael related the same to Dr. Hugh Culber. For Burnham, the Progenitors' treasure isn't just technology that can alter the destiny of the Federation, but it could mean answers Michael is seeking about the meaning of life, itself.

Captain Burnham's quest may reflect Star Trek: Discovery looking inward for something more profound.

Interestingly, Captain Burnham's spiritual journey in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 loosely echoes someone from her adoptive Vulcan family: Sybok (Lawrence Luckinbill). In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Spock's criminal older half-brother sought God in the mythical world of Sha Ka Ree. Sybok's quest was fueled by his own hubris, but the Vulcan truly did want to see and gain answers from the divine. Michael wants different answers than Sybok did, and Captain Burnham's quest may reflect Star Trek: Discovery looking inward for something more profound than its nature as an action-adventure Star Trek series.

Where The Next Clue To The Progenitors' Treasure Will Take Discovery

Discovery may take a pause in the treasure hunt.

Interestingly, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3's ending, doesn't directly lead to the USS Discovery's next destination after they depart Trill. Captain Burnham told Dr. Culber that the clue Jinaal gave them was being analyzed, but leads to the Tzenkethi system . However, Discovery is stymied by red tape as diplomats sort out the legalities of entering the Tzenkethi system. This could indicate a pause in Star Trek: Discovery season 5's treasure hunt in episode 4, "Face the Strange."

The Tzenkethi were a race that was never seen but was mentioned as enemies of the Federation on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , furthering Star Trek: Discovery 's DS9 connections.

However, it's a safe bet whatever Moll planted on Adira will lead to the next crisis Captain Burnham will have to contend with . With three more pieces needed to complete the map to the Progenitors' treasure and 7 more episodes to go in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Captain Burnham's hunt may take its first, strange detour.

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‘Sugar’ Episode 3 Recap: Who Goes There?

Where to stream:, colin farrell will seduce you with his sizzling ‘sugar’ performance, ‘sugar’ episode 2 recap: bad dad, ‘sugar’ series premiere recap: superdick.

Uhhh…is John Sugar an alien? 

Is Ruby an alien? Is everyone in the Société Polyglotte Cosmpolitaine an alien? 

Is Sugar a show about aliens???????????

Forgive me if I’m jumping off the deep end here. I suppose there could be any number of explanations for John Sugar’s physical inability to get drunk, or his ability to catch flies with chopsticks, or his immunity to anger and violence. Maybe the Société Polyglotte Cosmpolitaine is just a run of the mill organization of ex-spies who come together to save the world, like Davey Siegel suggests — and which Bernie Siegel rejects as the preposterous premise of one of his own shitty movies. Maybe when Ruby tells Sugar “We’re here to observe these people, not participate in their lives,” she’s not echoing Star Trek ’s Prime Directive, nor Jor-El’s words to Kal-El in Superman : “Even though you’ve been raised as a human being, you are not one of them.”

But anything’s possible, right? And a private-eye series willing to bend the genre far enough to incorporate a hero who’s a pure white hat is probably willing to bend it even farther and place that white hat atop a large, domelike grey head, right?

Look, I feel that through context clues, this is a perfectly reasonable assumption. And it goes beyond the stuff listed above. Look at the entire SPC, waiting dutifully to hand over their identical private journals to Ruby for evaluation in a weird green interrogation room, after which she types her conclusions into some kind of Naked Lunch typewriter. He asks her “Have you heard from Them?” She tells him “They say that They’re counting on us.” Capitalization implied.

Listen to his conversation with his fellow agent Henry ( Ozark standout Jason Butler Harner), who refers to himself as “an anthropologist” and who’s suffering the same medical symptoms as Sugar, and has to go see the same mysterious Doctor Wickham as a result. Hell, consider even Sugar’s out of character interest in the work of the band UFO — UFO!!! — relative to his otherwise exclusive obsession with midcentury Hollywood cinema. At the very least, we’re being head-faked in an extraterrestrial direction.

Everyone’s pulling one over on everyone else in this short but sweet episode. (I love shows that are just whatever length an episode feels like being.) The big bombshell is Melanie, who seems to still be an item with Bernie, her ex-husband. Bernie, of course, is actively covering up his son Davey’s history of sexual assault, which would get in the way of the Best Actor Oscar that he and Davey’s mother, egotistical actor Margit (Anna freaking Gunn), want so badly for him to get. How any of this squares with the work that Melanie was doing with her missing stepdaughter Olivia in helping battered women like Carmen Vasquez find safety is beyond me, but of course that’s the point of the contradiction, to make it confusing.

For his part, Sugar pretends to be a parole officer in order to rescue Teresa Vasquez, Carmen’s surviving sister, from Stallings, the associate of her murderer. (Both Sugar and Stallings have a past as government agents, or at least that’s what the records show.) The ruse is on the verge of failing until his civilian associate Charlie (Paula Andrea Placido) creates a diversion, allowing Sugar to knock out the goon left behind to guard him and escape with Teresa and her family. Stallings was on the verge of putting her hand in a blender to get intel out of Melanie, whom he’d forced Teresa to lure to the apartment, until Sugar and Charlie sprang into action. He’s a tough customer.

There are other interesting wrinkles to the case. While Davey seems to be a WYSIWYG moron, his right-hand man Kenny is both intelligent and seductive. He uses his masculine wiles on an NSA agent, Everett Roberts (Jonathan Slavin), to get the skinny on Sugar’s (alleged) background. In addition to making Kenny a more formidable opponent, this also makes him a more interesting character, one who can hold down scenes of his own. 

There’s something more to the killing that appears to have caused Olivia to flee than meets the eye as well. The way Melanie explains it, Olivia killed Clifford Carter after finding that he’d killed Carmen, hid his body with Melanie’s help, then skipped town. Even before we know for a fact that Melanie is still on good terms with her shady ex, Bernie, Sugar wonders why they didn’t just call the cops over a clear case of self-defense, and why Olivia hasn’t called her wealthy, well-connected, well-respected grandfather for help or money since she ran if that was the only reason she was missing. 

Finally, it’s worth remembering that despite his first-person narration, we viewers are privvy to much that he isn’t. It’s not just Bernie and Davey’s scheming, or Melanie’s double dealing — it’s a betrayal by Ruby herself. On the phone with the much-ballyhooed Dr. Vickers, she says that Sugar knows about Stallings. “It’s only a matter of time before he discovers the rest,” she says. “It’s time to stop him,” the voice on the other end replies. Can this insanely overpowered man, or creature in the semblance of a man, be stopped at all?

Sean T. Collins ( @theseantcollins ) writes about TV for  Rolling Stone ,  Vulture ,  The New York Times , and  anyplace that will have him , really. He and his family live on Long Island.

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• View history
• 2 Physiology
• 3.1 See also
• 3.2 Appearances
• 3.3 Background information
• 3.4 Apocrypha
• 3.5 External link

History [ ]

In 2255 , Lt. James T. Kirk visited Neural on a planetary survey and mentioned the mugato in his report .

Thirteen years later , Kirk, then a captain , returned to Neural and was bitten by a mugato. Dr. Leonard McCoy vaporized the attacking mugato with his phaser and a local kahn-ut-tu woman, Nona , was able to heal Kirk with a ceremony. Later, the mugato's mate attacked Kirk and Nona, and Kirk killed it with his phaser. ( TOS : " A Private Little War ")

According to Commander Jack Ransom , at some point prior to 2380 , " horned gorillas , sentient tar , [and] spores that make you hook up with your best friend 's sister " were all types of disasters that he had personally experienced on away missions that should have been a walk in the park . ( LD : " Temporal Edict ")

Noted collector Kerner Hauze had a mugato skeleton in his collection at the time of his death in 2381 . ( LD : " Kayshon, His Eyes Open ")

A collection of illegal mugato horns on the black market

That same year, two Denobulan researchers on Frylon IV were attacked by a mugato. Starfleet sent the USS Cerritos to investigate. The crew discovered a group of Ferengi poachers , led by Kynk , who were imprisoning and killing the mugatos, to illegally sell the endangered species horns. After an initial conflict, Ensigns Brad Boimler and Sam Rutherford convinced the Ferengi that it would be more profitable to keep the mugatos alive in a preserve , named Kynk's Mugatoland . ( LD : " Mugato, Gumato ")

Conspiracy theorists' mugato photo

A photograph of a Mugato was depicted on the conspiracy board at the truthers recruitment booth on Tulgana IV in 2381 . ( LD : " Reflections ")

Physiology [ ]

Mugato skeleton

Mugatos were large, intimidating animals that could reach a height of two meters (not including their horns). Covered by a thick pelt of white fur all over their bodies with the exception of their faces and hands, they were similar to the great apes of Earth in their physical proportions and prehensile hands and feet. Mugatos had large, thick horns projecting from the top of their craniums as well as smaller spikes running down the spine, which lead to a large tail . ( TOS : " A Private Little War "; LD : " Kayshon, His Eyes Open ", " Mugato, Gumato ")

Mugatos were known to attack humanoids . The Mugato would wrestle a person to the ground in order to bite it and inject its poison. All of their teeth were sharp and serrated and their fangs contained a strong venom that was fatal to Humans and inhabitants of Neural alike within a matter of hours. Mugato venom was a toxin that attacked a humanoid's nervous system . Death was slow and could take several hours. 23rd century Federation medicine knew of no antitoxin for the poison of a mugato bite; however, the kahn-ut-tu knew of a means that involved the mahko root and their own blood . ( TOS : " A Private Little War ") By the 24th century , Federation medicine of this era could treat mugato bites , at least if the venom had been sucked out of the wound . If riled enough, they could also simply devour a humanoid's entire head , removing it from the neck in one bite. Likewise, they may also use their horns to gore a threat. ( LD : " Mugato, Gumato ")

Two mugatos mating

Mugato genitals were sensitive to phaser fire. ( LD : " Mugato, Gumato ")

They usually traveled with their mates. ( TOS : " A Private Little War ")

A mugato on Frylon IV

When a male mugato encountered two others mating , he might challenge the other male to establish dominance , or he might prefer to watch the mating pair. After the mating was complete, the mating pair and watcher were likely to fall asleep . ( LD : " Mugato, Gumato ")

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ].

• Anthropoid ape

Appearances [ ]

• TOS : " A Private Little War "
• " Kayshon, His Eyes Open " (skeleton)
• " Mugato, Gumato "
• " Reflections " (photograph)

Background information [ ]

Originally called a "Neuralese Great Ape" in the first draft script, dated 7 August 1967 , the Mugato finally became the "Gumato" in the later drafts script; however, DeForest Kelley could not pronounce the name correctly and it was changed. Both Kelley and William Shatner pronounced the name as "Mugatu" all the way through the episode, and Mugato is still frequently spelled Mugatu in various sources such as The Star Trek Compendium . In the end credits of "A Private Little War", Prohaska receives credit as "Gumato". The Star Trek: Lower Decks episode " Mugato, Gumato " made the fact that the ape is known under several slightly different names canon.

Lucy gets a hug from the "gorboona".

The Mugato costume was created and performed by Janos Prohaska . It is believed that Prohaska also used the costume for the "Fatal Cargo" episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea , without its head horn or back spikes (DVD season 4, volume 1), and in Season 1, Episode 22, "Lucy's Safari", of Here's Lucy . The Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 57) noted Prohaska had designed and built the mugato from an ape suit he had previously built for another project.

A Mugato appears on the cover of A Child's Garden of Lifeforms in Our Galaxy , a book that was designed by Doug Drexler for DS9 : " Time's Orphan ". ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 579))

In the film serial Flash Gordon , the native Orangopoids from the planet Mongo resemble the Mugato. These creatures were colloquially known as "The Dreaded Beast of Mongo," where they were often used in ritualistic executions of so-called enemies of the state. It also bears some minor resemblance to the gremlin from the "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" episode of The Twilight Zone . William Shatner starred in this episode as a neurotic airline passenger. The creature terrorized Shatner's character until he went mad.

Ben Stiller , an avid Star Trek fan, named the Zoolander villain Jacobin Mugatu (played by Will Ferrell ) after the Mugato.

Apocrypha [ ]

The novel series Star Trek: New Frontier featured an augmented mugato named Janos (named after the original mugato's performer Janos Prohaska) who was genetically-altered by Doctor Marius Bethom and achieved sentience . However, his augmented genes led to an irreversible decrease in intelligence that came in waves before becoming permanent. He entered Starfleet with the rank of ensign and served as a security officer aboard the USS Excalibur and USS Excalibur -A. In 2376 , he was temporarily transferred to the USS Trident where he had a short-term relationship with M'Ress . However, his intelligence finally deteriorated, leading him to murder fellow crew member Lieutenant Gleau after he mentally assaulted M'Ress. Having lost his unique sentient abilities, Janos was eventually brought to Neural and released back into the wild where he joined a tribe of mugato. He eventually got into a scuffle with several members of the tribe after defeating at least two members using Judo throws implying that while Janos lost his intelligence, his muscle memory remained un-impaired.

The Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual lists what to do in the event of a mugato bite in the first aid section and lists the mugato's taxonomic nomenclature as Pongidae theropoda and that it can reach up to 2.2 meters in height.

External link [ ]

• Mugato at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 3 Ancient humanoid