Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Kathryn Janeway

2. Prophetic Proposal

star trek Queen Arachnia - Bride Of Chaotica!
CBS

Season 5’s Bride of Chaotica! is a fan favourite Voyager episode. A rare occasion to see the crew of Voyager in a more humorous situation and a treat for many of the actors, who were able to explore different sides of their characters. In particular, Kate Mulgrew, who got to play Captain Janeway, rather reluctantly, taking on the role of Queen Arachnia.

As recalled by Garrett Wang on the Delta Flyers podcast, Mulgrew fully embraced her time as the Queen of the Spider People, arriving on set as Arachnia, for the first time, already in character and lapping up the chance to play such a fun character. Complete with a garishly regal costume and fingernails that were entirely impractical for any Starfleet officer. The comedic chemistry between Mulgrew and Martin Rayner is thoroughly entertaining and, whilst only in a comical sense, Bride of Chaotica! also gave Janeway a rare “romantic” storyline.

While Voyager’s captain might have resigned herself to a life without companionship, the same cannot be said for her player. As revealed by Kate Mulgrew at a convention in Prague in 2011, the week that she assumed the role of Doctor Chaotica’s intended bride, she would become an intended bride as her then-partner also popped the question.

Talk about art imitating life. Although, one would hope that the real-life proposal was a little bit more romantic than Chaotica’s ploy for world domination and didn’t end with the groom electrocuted by his own death ray.

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Ellie has been part of the WhatCulture team since 2021 where she began as a freelance presenter for the WhoCulture channel. As a diehard Whovian with a BA (hons) degree in Drama and Acting, this role was the perfect opportunity for her to combine her screen presence training with her extensive Doctor Who knowledge. From there, she branched out to various other WhatCulture channels, including TrekCulture, and became a full time Content Producer/Video Presenter in 2023. Ellie is now a regular fixture on both WhoCulture and TrekCulture and has become a well respected public figure within both fandoms, building up a substantial following across her social media platforms and being given the opportunity to represent the channels and the wider communities at several industry events. Her favourite Doctor Who character is River Song and her favourite Star Trek character is Captain Janeway - which tells you everything you need to know about how she approaches her role within a generally male dominated field.