A Regrettable DS9 Cameo Hamstrung Star Trek: Voyager’s Initiations Episode
In the “Star Trek: Voyager” episode “Initiations” (September 4, 1995), Chakotay (Robert Beltran) undertakes a personal mission on a shuttlecraft only to be attacked by a Kazon teenager named Kar (Aron Eisenberg), an adolescent out on his first mission. In the brief battle, Chakotay accidentally destroys Kar’s ship, but takes the time to rescue him. Kar explains that the Kazon are an honor-bound species and that Chkotay, in rescuing him, robbed him of his ability to prove his worth to his elders. Kar is furious and embarrassed. Kar’s superiors find Chakotay and explain that the only way to restore Kar’s honor is for Chakotay to kill him or for Kar to kill Chakotay. The Starfleet officer and the Kazon go on the lam, trying to find a solution to their plight that doesn’t involve murder.
Aron Eisenberg was already known to Trekkies as Nog, the Ferengi teen on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” which debuted in 1993. Eisenberg was 26 when he filmed “Voyager,” but his youthful features and boyish voice allowed him to play adolescents for many years. They also, rather unfortunately, made him immensely recognizable. His striking features allowed fans to spot him in films like “House III” and “Puppet Master III” and TV shows like “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose,” but made his presence distracting in “Initiation.” Trekkies would have trouble relating to the young Kar if all they saw was Nog.
In the oral history book “Captains’ Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages” edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, longtime “Star Trek” scriptwriter Jeri Taylor expressed trepidation to this very point. “Star Trek” has always been good about offering multiple gigs to its myriad supporting players, but Eisenberg was too major a player in “Deep Space Nine” to play a one-off character in “Voyager.”