By Chris Snellgrove | Published
If you know more about Star Trek: VoyagerYou know that none of the players complain like Garrett Wang. The Ensign Kim actor sometimes had a fair bit of gripe, like when he revealed how the writers supposedly credited him and Robert Duncan McNeil for writing their recent weight gain into the script. At times, his complaints are shocking, such as his unsubstantiated claim that he was told to impersonate Rick Berman to make the show’s aliens seem real.
In fact, when he repeated a version of that appeal in a TV guide reporter, who rightfully reported that the Star Trek actor was badmouthing his TV show. To this day, Wang is convinced that this snafu is why he never got the chance to direct. Fortunately for the actor, not all his complaints came out. If we hadn’t complained about his character writing being boring, then rockstar writer Brannon Braga wouldn’t have even created “Non-Sequitur,” arguably one of the best Ensign Kim episodes ever.
The Squealing Wheel Gets the Grease
What is “Non-Sequitur” about? In this story, Ensign Kim wakes up in San Francisco to find that he never joined the Voyager crew and, thus, was never trapped in the Delta Quadrant. He still has memories of his time on the ship, but it’s easy enough to forget all that in the arms of his hot girlfriend. But his absence from Voyager also meant that Tom Paris lost his place on the ship, becoming a drunken idiot with no purpose. In the ultimate “bros before hoes” moment, Kim teams up with Paris to restore the timeline, ensuring their bromance will continue on the other side of the galaxy.
“Non-Sequitur” is very strong Star Trek: Voyager story, especially if (like me) you are a huge fan of both Harry Kim and Tom Paris. However, as it turns out, this episode would not have been written if Garrett Wang had not complained to writer and producer Brannon Braga. As the actor admits The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazinethis episode “was the result of me going to the production office and saying….When is Harry going to get the girl? When is there going to be action?” Braga replied, “Don’t worry about it,” and went on to create “Non-Sequitur.”
Very Cool in the Pool
In general, Wang was very happy with the finished result because it delivered everything he wanted. The altered “Non-Sequitur” timeline gave Ensign Kim a beautiful girlfriend, and allowed him to kick back a bit when he decided to return reality to the way things were. He’s also a full-on action hero, stealing runs, evading Starfleet pursuits, and even venturing out into space, all in an attempt to restore the timeline.
However, this wouldn’t be Garrett Wang’s story if there wasn’t another appeal. According to the actress, she asked Brannon Braga to cover all the action and romance “throughout that year,” hoping that Kim would be a dynamic character throughout Season 2. Instead, Braga “put it all in one episode.” Fortunately, “Non-Sequitur” served as a fun showcase for Wang’s skills as an actor, which almost (but not quite) worked for what he did. indeed he wanted: promotion of his brand that could not be worked on forever, that was not working forever.
