Popular Culture Review Vol. 12, No. 1, February 2001 | Page 79
Myth and the Star Trek Franchise
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the Germanic Siren. In this episode, a group of alien women whose own men have
all died ensare the men of other species through beautiful visions, and then drain
them of their life force. The Taurean system in which these women live closely
resembles the planet Tauresia from “Favorite Son” in name, and the plot and Siren
theme are similar in both episodes. Yet the “Favorite Son” sleeve does not refer to
this episode, thereby situating itself within a specific Star Trek array that privileges
the live-action series over other media forms. But while the episode itself as well as
the video sleeve suggest connections the viewer can make to other texts, this does
not preclude other connections within or beyond the Star Trek array, as each viewer
mobilises personal and shared popular culture memories.
As Irad Malkin notes in The Returns o f Odysseus, “the myth of Odysseus” is
made up not only of “the epic narrative of the Odyssey, but also alternative versions
and ‘sequels’, pictorial images [. ..] and forms of cult” (33). So although described
in text, the myth of Odysseus is not contained in any single text, and by the early
Classical period the Sirens in particular had been refashioned many times (BuitronOliver and Cohen 31 -33). Voyager's “Favorite Son” episode is but one in a long line
of retellings which retains some aspects of the myth yet transforms others. But equally,
the Sirens and the Odyssey are used in order to retell and construct Star Trek's own
form of a specifically twentieth century popular “mythology.” Both Star Trek and
the Sirens myth are retold in a continuous process of quotation, with each retelling
situating itself in a much larger tradition that is made up of but ultimately not contained
by its textual manifestations.
VoyageTs quotation of, and alignment with myth as illustrated in the “Favorite
Son” episode is but one of many quotation practices within S ta r Trek. These
quotations simultaneously provide threads of other textual realms, yet rely upon
varying audience awareness for their significance. Voyager’s second in command
notes that out in the deep reaches of unknown space “every old trick is
new again.” More accurately, everything old is remade in a new form - both
Star Trek, and the outside sources it quotes.
University of Melbourne
Notes
Djoymi Baker
1. On the Paramount studio lot, the business of Star Trek as a whole is referred to
collectively as “the franchise” (Poe 50).
2. “Classic Trek" is frequently used to indicate the original Star Trek series.
3. Part of this paper was presented at the inter-disciplinary symposium “The Use and
Abuse of Antiquity: Interrogating the Classical Tradition,” held at The University of
Melbourne, Australia, October 7, 1999. 1 would like to express my thanks to the
participants of the symposium for their comments. Responsibility for the interpretations
contained herein lie with the author.