“Star Trek” might’ve been considered as a space-aged beacon of progress, but there were some episodes that were well off the mark. For every chapter that gave a glimpse of what a promising future could look like in a universe of new worlds and warp drives (which we might be able to see soon), there were the occasional ones bred from Gene Roddenberry’s groundbreaking mythos that not even the cast were happy with.
Michael Dorn, who played Lieutenant Worf in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” made an appearance on Michael Rosenbaum’s “Inside of You” and spoke of just such an episode. “Code of Honor” saw the Enterprise crew come into contact with a group called the Ligonians. The glaring issue with this new form of alien appearing on the show is that they were depicted through the usage of racist African stereotypes.
Dorn himself didn’t even appear in this particular episode, but still wasn’t happy with what he saw. “It was one of the worst episodes. And I don’t think they did it to make a bad episode,” Dorn explained. “I think that they actually, when they went through the whole process, they went, ‘This is a good idea. This is a really good idea.'” Dorn wasn’t the only one to have spoken out about “Code of Honor,” either. Regular cast member of “The Next Generation” and longtime director of some memorable “Star Trek” installments, Jonathan Frakes, believes that going the extra mile to erase the episode from the franchise’s legacy is a better approach.
Jonathan Frakes wants the episode taken off the air
Back in 2020, Jonathan Frakes, who portrays decorated Starfleet officer William Riker, was asked whether it was acceptable that “Code of Honor” could still be viewed, having originally aired in 1987. “It is [still available to view] now. But I was told, or I was under the impression that it had rubbed so many people the wrong way that it was pulled,” Frakes told TrekMovie. “I think they should take it out of the rotation. I think it is a great time to make that kind of — as small as it is — to make that kind of a statement would be fabulous.”
Since then, the show has stayed on course with more progressive aims, typically avoiding offensive creative choices like those used in “Code of Honor.” Be that as it may, if the episode wasn’t removed, Frakes was asked if it might’ve been better to brand it with a disclaimer. The actor agreed that was a sensible option. “This is not who we are. This is not what we stand for. It’s an embarrassment to the franchise, and Gene would want us to do this. Something like that.” Well, you heard the first officer. What are you waiting for, Paramount?
