10 Star Trek Episodes That Actors Regret
2. Up The Long Ladder - Colm Meaney
Filming this episode was not an easy task for Colm Meaney. Up The Long Ladder was a second season entry in Star Trek: The Next Generation and to say that it misfires on almost every front doesn't do it justice. The depiction of Irish characters goes way beyond stereotype here, instead opting for an openly racist and degrading option.
Meaney was far from the starring role that he would receive on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, serving instead as a day player still. This meant that speaking up and opining about the direction the episode was taking really wasn't much of an option at the time. He was 'none too pleased' on set, something he has not elaborated on in the years since. He was however in a better position when If Wishes Were Horses came along, which originally featured a storyline focused on his Irishness in a condescending manner. This was swiftly changed.
The episode was panned. It's no Code of Honor, yet arguably Shades of Grey is a stronger entry! It also received hate mail, though it had nothing to do with the racism. Instead, the line in which Riker states he has the right to control his own body became a target for the right-to-life movement in the US, resulting in screenwriter Melinda M. Snodgrass getting a lot of hate mail.