10 Star Trek Characters Who Didn't Deserve Their Fate

2. Joe Carey

star trek voyager lieutenant joe carey death
CBS

This one just hurts. Poor Lt. Joe Carey. Think of it from his point of view - there he is, serving in Starfleet, having completed a turn on the Enterprise-D (allegedly) before being assigned to the brand-new Intrepid-class USS Voyager. This exciting opportunity is soured by the ship becoming stranded in the Delta Quadrant.

Initially, Carey looked set to take the post of Chief Engineer, after the existing officer is killed. Then he is supplanted by B'Lanna Torres, the ex-Maquis hothead who begins her shift by breaking his nose. Quite aside from the physical pain, that had to sting.

Still, Carey was a professional. He served under her for seven years, fading somewhat into the background. To be fair, Voyager wasn't a ship that gave much opportunities for career growth (just ask a certain eternal Ensign). But to only have poor Carey appear again in the show's seventh season set tongues wagging and Carey-enthusiasts trembling.

In Friendship One, Carey is assigned to the away team that investigates a crashed Starfleet probe, only to end up on the wrong end of a disrupter blast. If there was ever a character who fit the 'one day left til retirement' stereotype, it's poor Joseph. Pity the Joe. Pity the Carey.

 
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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"