10 Terrible Decisions That Led To Star Trek Losing Key Players

9. Terry Farrell Asked For More Time Off. They Gave It To Her.

Star Trek Dax Death Scene
CBS

Terry Farrell's departure from the show was one of the more avoidable ones, yet when Farrell asked to be made a recurring character on Star Trek Deep Space Nine's final season, rather than a main character, the response was to kill her off.

There have been a couple of versions of the story. In The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Farrell revealed that it was primarily due to her relationship with Rick Berman that led to her departure.

She explained that he was, in her words, a misogynist who would regularly criticize her appearance. He also attempted to bully her into confirming her role in the seventh season. She described phone calls that she would receive from him mere moments before she was due to film a scene.

She had no wish to leave Star Trek, just that she was run down with the long days and the lack of options to explore other projects. Reducing her role to recurring status would, she felt, relieve a lot of this pressure and allow her to deliver her best performances.

However, she was offered a sign-or-leave deal. Jadzia Dax was then killed off in the season six finale.

Contributor
Contributor

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"