10 Worst Ever First Officers In Star Trek

3. Jonathan Archer

Star Trek Enterprise In A Mirror Darkly Archer And Forrest
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Jonathan Archer could have been a fantastic first officer for Maxwell Forrest. The ingredients were all there - he supported Maxwell, even when the latter took command of Enterprise for himself. He stoically accepted that Hoshi Sato, with whom he had a romantic involvement, ditching him for Forrest to advance her career. Finally, he even brought Forrest the information about the USS Defiant, captured by the Tholians, possessing technology from the future.

One could easily say that Forrest brought about his own demise here. He refused to acknowledge Archer's information, even going so far as to plan to capture Archer, should the latter attempt to take action without him (which he did). Archer, clever little devil that he was, sent the information about the Defiant to Fleet Admiral Gardener, who overruled Forrest.

Forrest, ultimately, is taken down by his lack of understanding. He believed that Archer had no ambition to rise through the ranks. He was wrong, and it costs him his life when the Tholians overpower and ultimately destroy Enterprise - all while Archer watches from the bridge of his new ship, the Defiant.

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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"