Name a TNG guest character who you would have liked to appear more often
Posted by Planatus666@reddit | TNG | View on Reddit | 115 comments
My first choice would be Tomalak (wonderfully played by Andreas Katsulas). Such a great character but he was only in four episodes:
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Andreas_Katsulas
BrazenlyGeek@reddit
The guy that played Lore was great. Shame we didn't get more of him.
But also, Ashley Judd. It was nice seeing Wesley interacting with a peer. I grew up relating to Wes so never got the hate for him.
Planatus666@reddit (OP)
Great choice, what was the actor's name again? Something like Brett ....... Spinner? :)
Frank24602@reddit
No, I'm pretty sure it was Jeffrey Combs
GiftGrouchy@reddit
It was Jeffery Combs, playing as Brent Spinner, playing as Lore
Frank24602@reddit
Does Brent spinner even exist or is just one of Jeffrey's stage names?
AcademicCounty@reddit
That's right, it was Frank Stallone!
Frank24602@reddit
Thank you for the laughs
SendAstronomy@reddit
Came here to say "G'Kar!", but op beat me too it.
later_satyr@reddit
Tam and Tin Man! What adventures did they get up to?
SaltySAX@reddit
He was too busy annoying Londo.
N7_Warden@reddit
Pulaski ( I know I am in the minority)
Both character and actress were screwed over
Kryptoknightmare@reddit
Worf’s mate Key’larr. More than any other character, I wonder about how the show might have been different if she hadn’t been killed off.
Asleep_Touch_8824@reddit
Susie Plakson (sp) was superb in that role. Nice job as Mrs. Q, too.
ArcherNX1701@reddit
Such a great actor! Tall and gorgeous as well!!!
Elrond_Cupboard_@reddit
From imdb: The only actress to appear as 4 different aliens in 3 different "Star Trek" series: Vulcan Lieutenant Selar and Klingon K'Ehleyr on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), the female Q on Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Tarah, the first female Andorian on Star Trek: Enterprise (2001).
BoiledStegosaur@reddit
I’ll never understand how they could establish this in the series, have some big and interesting character development moments for a beloved character as a result, and then abandon it? She was a real highlight of my recent series rewatch. Her and Ro.
Ordos_Agent@reddit
Television was different than streaming. Big character changes were difficult because if you missed an episode, you just never saw it. Maybe you caught it as a rerun months later. Syndication was also a factor. Other starting skills would buy the rights to show re runs, and they didn't necessarilly show them in order.
BoiledStegosaur@reddit
Very true. Sometimes a show handles this in dialogue with ignorant characters demanding exposition from others. “I keep forgetting you’re married, Worf!”
Vizpop17@reddit
DS9 would have been totally different.
JVL74749@reddit
She was so awesome
Antique_futurist@reddit
Tomalak and K’Ehleyr are my top two.
Mini_Marauder@reddit
How awesome would it have been to actually give Worf a stable family life? Imagine the good it could have done for all three, Worf, K'Ehleyr, and Alexander. That would have opened up so much character development. Use their relationship to soften Worf and give Alexander a good balance between Klingon and human upbringing.
Ras_Thavas@reddit
Robin Loefler!!!
elihu@reddit
Kirsten Dunst.
spud9mn@reddit
Vash.
thinspirit@reddit
Vash was really compelling. Could have definitely seen more of them.
GonzoI@reddit
Berlinghoff Rasmussen. His initial time traveling thief gimmick was only good for one episode, but rather than drop him back off in his own time like many time travel episodes often do with pests from the past, they kept him as a prisoner in the 24th century. It would have been interesting to see him making it as a criminal on his own after getting out, only to have the TNG crew show up and need to use his connections for something, or have him try to swindle Quark on DS9.
thinspirit@reddit
This is a good one! Would've been cool to see him reappear trying to escape from time detectives or something as he keeps trying to perform heists in different time periods.
superjoec@reddit
Ensign Ro
exobably@reddit
Both Jeremy Aster (from "The Bonding") and Mirasta Yale (from "First Contact"). I always wondered whatever happened to them after their episodes.
Phrobowroe@reddit
Kamala. I keep hoping Picard sees her again. She’ll tell him that her husband died of Hyperbole Fever 12 years prior & that she has been waiting on him ever since.
loki_odinsotherson@reddit
Tomalak for me too, he seemed like a good counter point to picard. Loyal to his people but recognizes how the romulan empire is its own worst enemy.
Maddox the scientist that wanted to dismantle data.
Lwaxana troi. Yeah she's got a bunch of episodes, but I like her so much more as time goes on that I wish there were more episodes of her and Mr. Woof hanging out in mud baths together.
Sivalon@reddit
Admiral Mendak from Data’s Day. He was a calculating and competent Romulan officer who out-thought the Federation and the Enterprise to bring Sub-commander Selok back. His air of superiority and intellect was a great foil to Picard. He didn’t chew the scenery so much as take measured bites of it that he clearly relished.
“Fortunately Captain, I am not ready to start a war… today.”
Idontliketalking2u@reddit
Gil mecet I think his name was. Would've made great recurring cardasian
Sivalon@reddit
With DS9, you kinda got your wish.
Planatus666@reddit (OP)
You're close, it was Gul Macet:
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Macet
Sufficient_Ask8927@reddit
Roga Danar. I'd love to see a follow up to that episode, to see how well the integration went (obviously, if they made a sequel episode, it probably mean something went wrong).
Also, the occasional where his unique talents are useful to the crew.
SmartQuokka@reddit
Commander Shelby
KeoniDm@reddit
Hugh. Season 1 of Picard just left me bitter about his character arc. It just seemed incomplete.
Victory_Highway@reddit
I’m gonna go with Robin Leffler.
Glacier2011@reddit
The character wound up being a regular character in the new frontier books
Justin_Monroe@reddit
Had to scroll way too far down, I have but one up vote to go give you.
TheRealPhantasm@reddit
This is the best answer.
Reasonable_Pay4096@reddit
Sela
Serqetry7@reddit
Sela.
JugOfVoodoo@reddit
Nemesis should have been about Sela stealing and reactivating Lore.
Serqetry7@reddit
Oh man that would have been the best Star Trek movie ever. :(
Washtali@reddit
Yessssss where the hell was she in Picard? Seriously what a waste of a character
rgators@reddit
Ro Laren, who I was surprised to find was only in 8 episodes. I would have liked to see her replace Wesley in the main cast.
ShiroHachiRoku@reddit
Roker is my dream ship. Troiker didn’t really grab me.
Vincent1031a@reddit
TNG Pakleds maybe showing up again to see their build-up in arms. It's a metaphor for how we use tech but don't understand it, or how to fix it.
ShiroHachiRoku@reddit
They’re in Lower Decks.
xSL33Px@reddit
Ishara Yar for ... reasons...
ShiroHachiRoku@reddit
It’s THAT tight.
Thirty_Helens_Agree@reddit
And Kamala, the empathic metamorph for the same … reasons.
strangway@reddit
Thadiun Okona could’ve had another episode. He reminds me a bit of Harry Mudd from TOS.
He was a bit one-dimensional in his one episode, but maybe he starts dating Vash, gets into trouble, Picard has to work with Vash to save Okona even though he’s quietly jealous.
Fun fact: Billy Campbell auditioned for Riker.
ShiroHachiRoku@reddit
He’s in Prodigy for a couple episodes.
Kelpie-Cat@reddit
He shows up in Prodigy a few times!
spudaug@reddit
And na episode of Lower Decks, too!
ThePizzaNoid@reddit
He'll always be the Rocketeer to me.
3720-To-One@reddit
“We have Han Solo at home”
ThePizzaNoid@reddit
Captain Jellico. Awesome character that I would have loved to see more of.
ShiroHachiRoku@reddit
He’s in Prodigy for like 3-5 episodes I think.
Zer0daveexpl0it@reddit
He's the number two guy at OCP!
Planatus666@reddit (OP)
And he plays a mean guitar/banjo duet (Deliverance reference for those who haven't seen the movie).
ThePizzaNoid@reddit
Dick Jones!
starwolf1976@reddit
Denise Crosby as Sela.
joshmo587@reddit
Mick Fleetwood
LotharLotharius@reddit
Lt. Barclay
StannisTheMannis1969@reddit
🥦
Johnsendall@reddit
It bothered me that none of the baddies except Lursa and B’etor were killed in the stories.
Tamalak: his character makes one cameo in all good things but never story is never resolved. Sela: arrested and never heard from again Bok: turned over to his fervent associates and never heard from again.
Besides that they didn’t have a ton of recurring villains but Lore comes to mind about a complete story arc with a villain.
Vizpop17@reddit
Ro Laren, Shelby.
TEG24601@reddit
Sela and Tomalak would have been great in Nemesis.
DesperateStorage@reddit
Ronny Cox as jelico, I know he’s a dick but when he dresses down Troi for a non standard uniform, I thought, this MF can act.
Unhappy_Run8154@reddit
Ronny Cox - Capt. Edward Jellico. I loved his style of command
Planatus666@reddit (OP)
Here's an interesting bit from an interview with Ronny Cox:
StarTrek.com: Was there ever talk of bringing Jellico on board again?
Ronny Cox: Yes, there was. And then it just sort of didn’t happen. You know how those things go. Everyone was pleased with Jellico and I would have cleared some decks to work on that show again, but I only did those two [episodes].
https://www.startrek.com/en-un/news/ronny-cox-looks-back-at-chain-of-command
Hell of a shame that never happened.
Victory_Highway@reddit
He would’ve been great on DS9.
TheOriginalOperator@reddit
Tomalak would be awesome if they could keep him in his cool and calculating mode and not as G’Kar in a wig like he turned into in the end, Captain Louvois would be a great recurring thorn in Picard’s side.
dnkroz3d@reddit
I'm not sure she would be considered a guest character, but Ensign Ro. I love the dynamic she brought to the crew.
Foolwithaguitar@reddit
Marta Dubois as Ardra. She should have popped up again at least once
MikeReddit74@reddit
Shelby. I liked Elizabeth Dennehy’s performance in her two appearances, so I wished they were able to bring her back sooner than they did in PIC. At least the character was brought back in the New Frontier novel series.
Liquid_machine81@reddit
HUE.
airport-cinnabon@reddit
Barash.
UrguthaForka@reddit
Miles Edward O'Brien, of course.
balls4xx@reddit
There were only half as many torture obrien episodes in ds9 as there should have been.
ReapingKing@reddit
What else do you want to see happen to the poor guy?
MatthewKvatch@reddit
Jarok is great but it probably works because you only see him once. His daughter is in STO which is a nice nod.
balls4xx@reddit
He played many roles in tng and ds9, was always great.
Popemazrimtaim@reddit
He was good
Planatus666@reddit (OP)
Yeah, he was fantastic.
Zer0daveexpl0it@reddit
More Bruce Maddox. He was integral to Data yet only had 2 episodes?
CHawk17@reddit
not sure I can see how a guy that wants to disassemble Data is "integral' to Data
Zer0daveexpl0it@reddit
Maybe integrated with Data's life is a better description.
RighteousAwakening@reddit
Tam Elbrun! Don’t know if he could appear more because of how his story ended but I really liked his character! Also of course I would have loved more Barkley!
Planatus666@reddit (OP)
Harry Groener was great as Tam Elbrun, the Tin Man episode is one of my favorites.
RighteousAwakening@reddit
Me too. I love the interactions between him and Data. “Perhaps, you’re just different. It’s not a sin you know. Though you may have been told otherwise.”
JugOfVoodoo@reddit
Data's mom Juliana Tainer. Her learning the truth about her self and confronting Data about it could have been a great subplot for a movie.
laffingriver@reddit
Kolrami the strategist. A great actor and it could have been fun for him to come back as a bureaucratic bank stooge type character. Mild interpersonal villain material, especially with riker and worf.
JugOfVoodoo@reddit
Don't forget Data! After all, he busted Kolrami up.
Vincent1031a@reddit
Now TNG but TOS, but the Kilngon Krell from A Private Little War. The perfect thinking person Klingon, is more of a Grand Admiral Thrawn type then shoot everything.
I believe he would be a great foil for Captain Pike.
Windshadow01@reddit
Paul Sarvino (rip) Warfs brother. I met him once. A very nice guy and a class act.
Velocitor1729@reddit
Mick Fleetwood as the fish man, obviously.
Mister_Buddy@reddit
Dathon should have been brought onto the Enterprise as Ship's Counselor.
Afoolfortheeons@reddit
David Rappaport
laffingriver@reddit
Hester Dealt. He is the curt virologist who holds his own with Picard. Would have been nice to see him as a starfleet professional with a hardass reputation who respects the enterprise. Also a great actor.
terradaktul@reddit
I just realized he’s the one armed man in The Fugitive movie
Planatus666@reddit (OP)
Yup, that's the guy.
ZyxDarkshine@reddit
Other Qs besides John de Lancie
The-Minmus-Derp@reddit
Mirasta Yale was clearly set up to be recurring, and her actress appeared many times afterwards as different characters, but she joins the crew and just vanishes
Popemazrimtaim@reddit
Yes wish we had seen him more but wasn’t he busy with Babylon 5?
3720-To-One@reddit
Babylon 5 and TNG barely had any overlap
Babylon 5 premiered in 1993, TNG finished up in 1994
Popemazrimtaim@reddit
Ah you are right.
Oddjibberz@reddit
The Traveler because I loved the idea of exploring beyond the galaxy and would enjoy a breakthrough beyond warp that would allow Starfleet to explore the entire universe.
Q, even though he was a common guest, I love every episode de Lancie is in.
Organic_South8865@reddit
That actor is great in Babylon 5 too.
Planatus666@reddit (OP)
Can't argue with you there. :)