Top 100 genre tv characters discussion thread

[whisky]

But are we talking about the characters merits or the actors?

Yeah Nichelle Nichols was an important person for race relations, and helped people throughout the world, but the list is about the character, not the actor.

Uhura has been around for 43 years, and until the new film came out she didnt even have a first name (on screen), we dont know anything about her family, or that much about her life, other than she likes to sing.

I guess the question is, would Uhura be on the list if the role was played exactly the same, but by a white actress?

 

[CaptainWacky]

Well she wouldn't have been inspiring the blacks then, so no.

 

[The Dork Lord]

But Barcly, Ro, and Dukat are more important characters?

 

[whisky]

Well we probably know more about them than Uhura

 

[CaptainWacky]

Barclay might have been the first character with Asperger's Syndrome to appear on tv, so he's quite important.

 

[Eggs Mayonnaise]

And Ro was the first sexy terrorist in Trek, who paved the way for Kira.

Dukat is a fascinating character -- the tortured, delusional despot. He never did bad things, bad things happened to him. Until the Pah'Wraiths stripped away all his facades and he emerged as an untempered tool of evil.

If Uhura hadn't kissed Kirk on TV in the 60s, the character's impact would probably have been slightly downplayed today. The character (or Nichols herself) was important socially and politically in the outside world, but in terms of sci-fi and the Trekverse, was the character equally significant?

 

[whisky]

As usual you have made my point far more eloquently than I could.

We're all big trek fans here, can any one of us sum up Uhura's character in a way that will take more than a few lines?

She answered the hails, she sung a little, flirted a little, and a long time later stripped off as a distraction.

She never got a first name, never got a love interest (maybe Scotty in STV), we know nothing about her family, and even when she got promoted she was still doing the same job.

There are guest stars who appeared in one episode who got given more back story and character depth than Uhura.

 

[Fuddlemiff]

Wash should be on the list. Very memorable, funny and an interesting character who's loyal to his captain, submissive to his amazonian warrior wife and has more Hawaiian shirts than big gay Al.

 

[The Dork Lord]

#316

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