Star Trek: 10 Alien Encounters Before First Contact

6. The Xindi - Carpenter Street

Star Trek Jeffrey Dean Morgan
CBS Media Ventures

While this episode almost caused actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan to switch professions, it serves as one of the grim examples of how alien encounters are not always pleasant - and we're not even going to mention those Borg that travelled back in time either!

The Xindi Reptilian faction had been, with a little help from the Sphere Builders, experimenting with biological weapons. For this to truly work, they needed human subjects to test, so a little time travel was called for. Leland Orser, returning to Star Trek, appeared as Loomis.

This blood bank worker has been kidnapping people for use by the Xindi, even if he wasn't initially aware of their alien origin. Surely, somewhere along the way, he must have questioned - but still, he's a kidnapper-for-hire, though finally is forced out of work by the intervention of Archer and T'Pol (who still may or may not accept that time travel is possible).

While Loomis is thankfully arrested for his actions, and the Xindi Reptilians are brought back to the future, this alien encounter would certainly fit the bill as one of the more dangerous run-ins with extra-terrestrials.

 
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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"