By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Have you ever read about someone for the first time and immediately felt a connection to them? Recently, I read about the late, great Evan Carlos Somers, someone who wrote the best Transformers show ever: Beast Wars. He also wrote the episode “Melora” Deep Space Ninewhich happens to be the greatest Star Trek game ever made (I said what I said, haters!).
What fascinated me most about Somers was that he wrote “Melora” for no reason. Part of that mess was the production offices at Paramount and the DS9 put them. As a man in a wheelchair, Somers found out how difficult it was to get around the studio, and made sure wheelchair-bound Melora faced the same difficulty navigating the most famous space station in the quadrant. In addition, he wrote “Melora” mainly to wave the middle finger at the writers of “Ethics.” That’s it TNG the episode where the crippled Worf wants to do so (as the kids at Starfleet Academy might say) to save himself with the help of Commander Riker.
Best Station Parking
This story will require a double dose of context, so buckle up. The most notable thing about “Melora” is that even in the 24th century, the titular Starfleet officer has to use a wheelchair to get around the station. This is because he is from a planet with high gravity, and his fancy hoverchair is no match for the station’s Cardassian technology. The episode was originally staged and written (and later rewritten) by Evan Carlos Somers, who felt that his life as a disabled person would help him write for a wheelchair-bound character.
The biggest emotional thrust of the episode comes when Dr. Bashir creates a “cure” for Melora that would allow her to travel more easily in Earth’s normal gravity. However, it would prevent him from returning to his homeland. It will also change who he is, and in the end he decides not to go through with it just to please Bashir. In this way, the disabled Somers wrote an important episode of Star Trek in which the character refuses to be defined by his disability, and, instead, fully embraces it.
Today is a Good Day to Die
Although she was inspired to write “Melora” by her desire to honestly portray the experience of a person with a disability, Somers also wanted to write a response to the disabled. Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “Ethics.” This is the episode where Worf is paralyzed by falling barrels, and considers killing himself because of Klingon cultural traditions. They believe that if you can’t walk, you can’t fight, and if you can’t fight, you’re probably dead. Worf can’t convince Riker to help with his suicidal ideation and isn’t willing to question his son, so he reluctantly agrees to an experimental medical procedure that allows him to walk again.
In interview no The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine MagazineEvan Carlos Somers revealed that “Ethics” was an episode that “got under my skin a little bit.” While he acknowledged that the Klingons have their own cultural values, he still felt that “we’re making a statement with Star Trek” and that “messages and values are being broadcast loud and clear.” This time, he “also sent a message to ‘Ethics’–that Worf is useless as a cripple and should kill himself.” This inspired the writing of “Melora” because “I always thought it would be good to create a disabled character who is accepted for who she is and doesn’t have to change.”
In retrospect, “Melora” had a good message, but I find it interesting that this ongoing episode was written without the previous writers. TNG episode. Even funnier, “Ethics” was written by Ronald D. Moore, a Klingon expert who eventually came up with a good name. Battlestar Galactica reboot.
He is considered one of the best writers of Star Trek, but that did not stop a young writer from calling him one of the writers. DS9 for craziest episodes. Somers is powered even though the Enterprise is powered by a warp core, and like Scotty, he’s giving it his all with “Melora.” The real talk? As a creative writer, that’s the kind of encouragement I can get behind.
