Embracing Distinction: Star Trek: Voyager’s Klingon Engineer Carves Her Own Path
B'Elanna, the Klingon engineer on Star Trek: Voyager, breaks away from Scotty's mold and stands proud as her own unique character Discover why Voyager chose B'Elanna to pay homage to the Miracle Worker of TOS in this intriguing article
Summary
B'Elanna Torres distinguishes herself early on as Voyager's half-Klingon Chief Engineer, proud of her differences from Scotty in TOS.
In "State of Flux," B'Elanna gains Captain Janeway's respect by refusing to overstate the time needed for completion. This displays her honesty. B'Elanna's interaction with Janeway alludes to the interactions between Kirk and Scotty in TOS, highlighting the interconnection within the Star Trek franchise.
Star Trek: Voyager quickly established that B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) possessed a distinctiveness that set her apart from Montgomery "Scotty" Scot (James Doohan) from Star Trek: The Original Series, a fact she took pride in. Serving as Voyager's half-Klingon Chief Engineer, B'Elanna earned her position after the USS Voyager became stranded in the Delta Quadrant in the show's pilot episode. Despite B'Elanna's departure from Starfleet Academy to join the Maquis and her fiery Klingon temperament, she consistently demonstrated her exceptional engineering skills and invaluable contribution to Voyager's crew throughout the series' seven seasons.
Notably, B'Elanna also established a clear distinction from her predecessors as Voyager's Chief Engineers. In the 11th episode of Voyager season 1, titled "State of Flux," the engineering team devised a plan to recover a piece of Federation technology from a Kazon vessel. B'Elanna informed Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) that they would be fully prepared for the retrieval the following morning; however, Janeway proposed attempting it by the end of the day. Rather than acquiescing to Janeway's demand, B'Elanna stood her ground and asserted that when she said tomorrow, she meant tomorrow, emphasizing her commitment to accuracy and refusing to exaggerate the time needed to complete a task.
Star Trek: Voyager's B'Elanna Isn't Like Scotty
B'Elanna set herself apart from Star Trek: TOS's Scotty by refusing to blindly comply with her Captain's demands. Unlike Scotty, who often argued with Captain Kirk about time constraints, B'Elanna made it clear that she wouldn't compromise on what she needed to complete her tasks. While Scotty managed to fulfill Kirk's requests within the given time, B'Elanna's firm stance in "State of Flux" showed that she wouldn't be as accommodating. Surprisingly, Captain Janeway seemed to appreciate B'Elanna's honesty and didn't push back further. Instead, she agreed to the operation the next morning. This raises the question of whether Kirk would have shown the same leniency towards Scotty's defiance. Janeway and Kirk have distinct leadership styles, making it difficult to determine, but regardless, B'Elanna's bravery in requesting the necessary time seemed to earn Janeway's respect to some extent.
Why Voyager Used B’Elanna To Reference TOS’s “Miracle Worker”
In "State of Flux," B'Elanna and Janeway's exchange would have been a clear reference to the interactions between Kirk and Scotty in the original Star Trek series. This humorous moment would have been appreciated by fans who remembered Scotty's difficulties in meeting Kirk's demands. The Star Trek franchise has always maintained a strong interconnectedness, with shows and movies frequently referencing each other. This was particularly evident in Star Trek: Voyager, where even subtle moments like B'Elanna's line helped to build upon the previous projects.
