10 Greatest Star Trek In-Jokes

This writer has already discussed television's demise in Star Trek, but it deserves a second mention here. Beyond the canonical prediction — the medium didn't last much past 2040 (for humanity, at least) — the writers clearly take great delight in having assigned television to the history books.

It's the perfect in-joke. By relying on a lack of awareness of the characters, the writers can poke fun at their own industry without having to totally demolish that fourth wall. The gag is perhaps also a gentle reminder to appreciate Star Trek for what it ultimately is — a piece of television — for as long as we have it. After all, in Star Trek, nobody's watching Star Trek.

After Data's revelation in The Neutral Zone, there have been a few direct references to 'tee-vee'. When Voyager went back to the '90s, Kes and Neelix were tasked with reviewing Earth broadcasts and became addicted to the soap opera. We still don't know if Blaine's twin brother was the father of Jessica's baby! Most recently — *Spoiler Alert* — in Lower Decks, Boimler got hilariously hooked on Ferengi television, ironically unfamiliar with commercials ("commer-seals") and the serial drama (Cop Landlords needs its own spin-off). Moreover, the title of that Lower Decks episode was itself a TV reference!