If you have to have a favorite Badmiral, mine’s Cartwright, from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
That’s my answer to the first question in this round of the Files. Stefan Ritter asks: of all the corrupt admirals seen in Star Trek, who’s your favorite, and why? That’s a great one, and I didn’t get to Cartwright right away, because there’s a lot of them to get through.
The Shelf of Badmirals
There’ve been a few of late. The most recent was Admiral Buenamigo, from Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3, in the finale, “The Stars at Night.”
Then there’s the classics. Norah Satie, from the Next Generation episode “The Drumhead.” She was pretty awesome. She came out of retirement just for that whole situation. There’s Toddman, from Deep Space Nine’s “The Die Is Cast,” and I love that episode. Erik Pressman, from The Next Generation’s “The Pegasus.” Alexander Marcus, from Star Trek Into Darkness. Leyton, from Deep Space Nine’s “Homefront” as well as “Paradise Lost.” Mark Jameson, from the Next Generation episode “Too Short a Season.”
Who could forget Dougherty, from Star Trek: Insurrection, the Next Generation movie. And from the Ensign Ro episode, there’s Admiral Kennelly.
Why Cartwright Takes the Cake
For me, though, the cake goes to The Undiscovered Country. That’s Star Trek VI, for those of you playing at home. Specifically, the character of Cartwright.
Cartwright goes back to Star Trek IV in terms of importance. We’d seen him before, sure, but in that movie he was there. He was fundamental to those people. When they come back in their own time, he’s the one going, get them back, get them back, get them back. You know what I’m talking about.
So for me, that particular betrayal was one of the bigger, more important betrayals you could really think about and really delve into. He’s a man you’d already watched stand in that room on the right side of things, and that’s why it’s the one worth putting out there as my pick.
But hey, don’t take my word for it.
Who’s your favorite Badmiral? Was it the newer one, Buenamigo, or one of the others I mentioned? Was it someone I missed? I said I’d probably put a poll up asking the same question, because I think it’s worth asking. The conversation lives in the comments on the video above.
