Part III, Chapter XII: "Now You've Got Panache"
“Season One was very much us ‘finding our feet’. It always takes a little while to figure out what works, especially with a show like this. Season Two worked better as we could use what worked, and drop what didn’t. It had its fair share of controversy too, though, much as we ignored some of it. Some of the more close-minded viewers had an issue with the reveal that Harry Kim was gay, though many of them were fine with Dax and K’Rene being in a relationship. That’s one of the unfortunate double standards with writing.”
- David Gerrold on the production of Season Two of
Star Trek: Odyssey. [1]
Season One of
Star Trek: Odyssey had been a success, despite the slightly disappointing viewership figures. 1996 would see the show move to UPN and a change in release schedule to fit with the traditional US television season. In addition, late 1996 would bring the 30th anniversary of the franchise’s beginning, which both
Odyssey and
Deep Space Nine would mark with special stories referencing
The Original Series.
Season Two of
Odyssey would prove that the actions of characters in the show would have real consequences, if Season One had not already shown this to be so. The “arc” of Season Two would follow on from concepts introduced in the first season, notably the Sikarians and Vidiians. In this season, the
Odyssey would travel through space the Sikarians held hegemony over, and would become something of a pariah after they offer aid to the Vidiians. [2]
The season opener, “The Things That Matter” would mark the point when the crew wholly commits to getting home, rather than settling on a planet in the Delta Quadrant, after they meet a group of humans, including Amelia Earhart, that had been abducted centuries prior. The ninth episode of the season, “Prior Notions”, would see the crew begin to reverse engineer technology of species they encountered to make their trip home more comfortable and safe.
The twelfth episode, “Assignment: Home” would serve as a loose sequel to the
Original Series story of “Assignment: Earth”, acting as a way of commemorating the 30th anniversary, similar to
Deep Space Nine’s “Trials and Tribble-ations”. [3]
Through the season, the crew would begin to form a more unified identity, especially as they faced more serious enemies like the Sikarians. In addition, the
Odyssey would begin to be accompanied by a “convoy” of vessels, taking on more crew native to the Delta Quadrant.
The more controversial moments of the season would primarily involve the revelation that Harry Kim was homosexual, in the story “Non-Sequitur”, and the signs of a budding relationship between him and Nick Locarno, a pairing often referred to by fans as “Lo-Kim-no”. As with the Jadzia Dax-K’Rene relationship, many conservative outlets complained, but this generally increased interest in the show, rather than decrease it. In fact, the open display of homosexual relationships in the franchise, especially in a positive light, brought much attention to UPN, giving it a reputation as a more progressive network. [4]
Odyssey’s move to UPN was considered to be a good move by the writers and producers.
Deep Space Nine’s increased success on that channel was hoped to be replicated with
Odyssey. Many advertisements would be released featuring
Odyssey heavily, with the entirety of the large cast being involved with publicity in interviews. In fact, it was one of the few areas in which the size of the cast was a help, rather than a hindrance. All of the cast were able to be involved with interviews and advertisements, but nobody, barring possibly Claudia Christian and Graham Greene, would be overwhelmed by the amount of engagements they would be involved with.
[1] More LGBT representation! And this time, in a case where I've kept the actor from OTL, and followed what they wanted. Wang wanted Kim to be gay, but Berman said no. No Berman here.
[2] The Sikarians aren't quite like any enemy we've seen before. I'm looking forward to showing them off.
[3] A little different to OTL with stories. But "Trials and Tribble-ations" is if anything, more likely due to Gerrold being in charge.
[4] Yes, I worked out the ship name beforehand. No, this isn't the only one I've already figured out.