Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Andorians
7. Their Antennae Are Movable And Expressive
D.C. Fontana's script for Journey to Babel described the Andorians holding their heads down and slightly tilted to facilitate listening with their delicate antennae. When the redesigned Andorians debuted in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode The Andorian Incident, they sported moving antennae.
According to Shran actor Jeffrey Combs, he, the other actors playing Andorians and The Andorian Incident's director, Roxann Dawson, worked closely with the puppeteers controlling the antennae to create meaningful movements for the antennae.
Combs compared them to a cat's ears. When an Andorian was angry, their antennae would flare back. Other movements could express curiosity or gratitude.
In the first draft of The Andorian Incident, the Andorians were described as having evolved from subterranean ancestors. According to this draft, their antennae helped the Andorians navigate in low light and could detect smells and vibrations. However, none of this has ever been stated in dialog.
According to the Star Trek: Enterprise episode United, having an antenna cut off was humiliating, although under most circumstances it would grow back. The Star Trek: Discovery episode Scavengers revealed that the antennae could also be permanently removed . Emerald Chain leader Osyraa did this to Ryn when he attempted to incite a rebellion.