Star Trek: 10 Behind The Scenes Secrets From Caretaker
8. It Was The Result Of A Cheap Lunch Or Two
The show came about quickly, mostly being broken down over the course of some very rushed lunches between Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor, and Rick Berman. Brannon Braga, who would go on to play a large role on the series behind the scenes, was unable to take part as he was on vacation at the time.
The three would meet around noon, with their sessions lasting a couple of hours, four days a week, beginning in July 1993. This would go on until September when Caretaker was ready to go. Piller recalled that the three of them shared some very cheap lunches during that time, working furiously to break the script.
The main plot points took the episode in several directions, including references to The Next Generation, a cameo from Quark, allusions to the L.A. riots, among many other plot points. They created an alien race that they likened to Mayfly, with an incredibly short life span - these would evolve into the Ocampa. The Doctor was always going to die. Janeway and Tuvok would have been friends in their earlier careers. The ingredients were all set.