Friend — noun — ‘a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically one exclusive of sexual or family relations.’
As humans, we crave companionship. Throughout our lives, we develop close friendships from primary school to university and beyond; some may last, while others drift apart as we adapt and change our identities. The inspiration for this project came from listening to a podcast called ‘The Guilty Feminist,’ during an episode which discussed the importance of female friendships. The host of the podcast, Deborah Frances White, stated “female friendship is just uncomplicatedly and very complicatedly full of love and powerful desire for connection that you can never really understand when you have sex in the mix.” Throughout the episode, the hosts discuss their experiences with female friends and come to the conclusion that they’re “tricky, tactile, full of love, humour, and inspiration, but also jealousy, risk, offence, pain and drama but I think they’re worth it.”
This article will explore the nature of friendships between women and how the media represent these relationships in five different series of Star Trek — The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Discovery. I chose not to look at Enterprise because I am not as familiar with that series. Because the media attempts to reflect reality, the representation of individuals should be as authentic as possible. I will investigate how friendships between women have been represented in each reiteration of Star Trek over the years and explore how the socio-political climate in real life might inform them.
The Original Series
The first Star Trek series was released in 1966, at the height of the civil rights movement in America. The series revolves around the main character, Captain James Kirk, and his adventures with the rest of his crew in space. The friendship with his second in command, Spock and the Chief Medical Officer, Leonard McCoy is explored throughout the series and dominates the overarching narrative.
While the character of Lieutenant Uhura was very progressive for the time (a black woman having a prominent position on the ship), her character was still very limited in its overall development. The other recurring female character, Nurse Christine Chapel, also had an underdeveloped storyline and had minimal lines to say. These characters were rarely in the same scene together, and hardly ever had any dialogue together. I will now analyse one of their only brief exchanges.
Season 2, Episode 3 — ‘The Changeling’
The context for the scene is that Uhura has had her memories wiped so Nurse Chapel is helping her re-learn words and construct sentences. The scene begins with Uhura reading a sentence very slowly and Chapel helps her when she gets stuck. Uhura gets frustrated and starts speaking in Swahili (her native language), Chapel responds with “Not Swahili Uhura, in English.” When Uhura finally gets the sentence right, the women celebrate by laughing and hugging.
On my first viewing, this scene appears to be a supportive interaction between two women, however the undertones of a ‘white saviour’ narrative trope are apparent. Uhura is essentially child-like and vulnerable in this scene. There is hardly any dynamic of friendship between the two characters and no room for them to develop their relationship as the focus of the series is primarily on Kirk, Bones, and Spock’s ‘bromance.’
While there were many progressive elements in the Original Series, the multi-cultural cast and philosophical storylines, the representation of women and their relationships with one another was almost non-existent. Karen Hollinger argues that ‘female friendship films offer not only sympathetic heroines, but ones who have been created by female producers, directors, screenwriters, and stars to serve as role models, validating the self-worth of the female spectator who identifies with them’ which highlights the importance of this representation in mainstream media.
The Next Generation
The Next Generation was released in 1987, almost twenty years after the Original Series was cancelled. In the aftermath of Second Wave Feminism and significant gains in cultural and political equality, this series introduces a new cast with female characters playing more major roles. The Chief Medical Officer was Beverly Crusher and the ship’s Councillor was Deanna Troi. These characters had space throughout the series to develop their role and relationships with one another, although they were still somewhat overshadowed by their male colleagues, the ratio of male to female main characters being 5:2. The scene I will analyse will look at how the representation of friendship between women has changed since the Original Series.
Season 3, Episode 8 — ‘The Price’
The scene begins with Beverly stretching in front of a mirror. Deanna rushes in a few seconds later apologising for being late to their stretching session. Beverly notes that Deanna is “unusually limber this morning,” which is a pretext for Deanna to talk about her new lover. Apart from failing the Bechdel test within the first 20 seconds, the women continue to exchange clunky, forced dialogue while stretching, eventually coming to an awkward seating position where they face each other with their legs stretched out, Deanna’s on top of Beverly’s, and continue their bizarre exercises.
The framing of this scene has positioned the women facing the camera with their bottoms in full view in the mirror behind, giving the audience essentially a 360-degree view of their bodies. The tight-fitting sparkly costumes the characters are wearing serves to accentuate their curves and femininity. This notion of voyeurism and catering to the male gaze immediately indicates that this scene is not a realistic portrayal of female interaction. However, it is certainly a step up from the absent scenes between female characters in the Original Series.
Deep Space Nine
Deep Space Nine was first broadcasted in 1993, while the Next Generation was still on air. This series sees the first Star Trek with a black captain, a range of complex female characters and most importantly, the representation of a platonic friendship between a man and a woman. Benjamin Sisko and Jadzia Dax have a long and interesting friendship; Dax’s character is an alien which is made up of two beings — one part being essentially immortal with the ability to transfer to a new host body (the second part) in order to retain the memories and experiences of previous hosts.
Dax has had seven lifetimes, both as a man and woman, which gives her character space to explore narratives around gender fluidity. Sisko knew Dax as a man called Kurzon but when that host died and became Jadzia, he was able to rekindle this friendship from a different perspective. I will analyse two scenes from the same episode for this series, one with Dax and her friend Kira and the other with Dax and Sisko. I will analyse the similarities and differences between the friendships of different sexes.
Season 6, Episode 7 — ‘You Are Cordially Invited…’
The scene begins with Dax and Kira walking into the elevator while discussing Dax’s upcoming wedding with Worf, the Klingon Officer. “He has everything figured out, right down to the colour of my shoes” says Dax. As a side note to this analysis of female friendship, it is interesting how the couple are challenging gender norms by having the groom plan the entire wedding.
As the women continue to converse, Kira challenges the idea of Worf planning the wedding, asking “no offence Jadzia, but it seems like this wedding is all about what Worf wants, what about you?” However, Dax maintains her authority by explaining she has already been through five wedding ceremonies, “three as a bride and two as a groom,” and is happy to let Worf plan this one. This exchange is arguably the most realistic portrayal of how women talk to each other out of all the examples so far. The chemistry between the characters feels genuine and believable and the dialogue flows naturally. They are laughing, smiling, and joking which reflects authentic experiences between female friends.
Later, in the same episode, there is a scene with Dax and Sisko talking about the same topic. Dax and Worf have had an argument and are unsure if the wedding will go on and here we see how Dax depends on the support of her male friend for honest advice and reassurance. Sisko walks into Dax’s room, she angrily starts ranting about Worf and how his mother will not accept her as a step-daughter (another moment where the gender roles are switched from the groom not being ‘good enough’ for the father’s daughter), while Sisko stands there patiently listening to her grievances.
When she has finished her tirade, he responds brusquely that “if you can’t abide by Klingon traditions, then you never should have let yourself fall in love with him in the first place.” He then softens his tone and states “and you are in love with him.” At this point, they have moved to the sofa where Dax has calmed down and begins candidly sharing her fears and worries with Sisko. This switch from standing and shouting to sitting and talking calmly is a more comfortable position for Dax and Sisko to have a conversation and discuss her problems in a relaxed way.
Dax has calmed down, and despite Sisko’s harsh tone, his honesty has allowed her to reflect on her feelings from a different perspective, that of a masculine viewpoint. An interesting contrast to Kira prefacing her comment with “no offence,” while Sisko gave her a harsh but fair approach. “After 356 years, 7 lifetimes, I still lead with my heart” she says, sighing. “You know, that’s what I’ve always loved about you, and why Worf loves you too.” This exchange highlights the consolidation of this male/female platonic friendship, from the brutal honesty to the loving and supportive encouragement. The scene ends with them embracing, Dax lamenting “Whatever happened to the young, callow ensign I used to know? The one who used to turn to me for advice?” which shows that their friendship works both ways, both rely on the other for advice and support.
The parallels between these two scenes are interesting; in both, Dax is talking about her wedding but from different angles. With Kira, she excitedly tells her about her fiancée’s plans whereas with Sisko, she shows more vulnerability and expresses her fears. Arguably, Dax needed to hear a male perspective on how she should proceed, whereas if she had confided with a female friend, she might just have been supportive and empathetic without wanting to criticise Dax’s approach.
There is also the added complexity of Dax’s gender fluid identity, having lived as both genders, she must retain elements of masculinity from her past lives. In these scenes, it is clear that men and woman would benefit from the friendship of both men and women, and it is refreshing to see this depicted so articulately in Deep Space Nine.
Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager was first aired in 1995 (while Deep Space Nine was still being broadcast). This is the first Star Trek series to have a female Captain in charge along with a female Chief Engineer, and an intelligent astrometric scientist called Seven of Nine. David Gauntlett argues that this ‘bolder leap in gender terms helped Captain Janeway look good by making her male colleagues a pretty bland bunch.’ The 1990s was the era of ‘girl power,’ and independent, strong women featured prominently in TV shows like Sex and the City and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
While this is an excellent series to analyse the representation of powerful women, it was surprisingly lacking in its portrayal of female friendships. Captain Janeway had to keep a professional distance from her colleagues in order to maintain her authority. The dynamics between Seven of Nine and the Chief Engineer, B’Elanna Torres, were heated and often revolved around snide remarks and arguments.
Mikel Brown argues that representations in the media of these kinds of female rivals encourages girls to “distrust other girls and women and in some cases turns them against themselves and against one another.” I chose to analyse the friendship between Seven of Nine and the youngest crew member, Naomi Wildman, who was born on the ship and has no children her age to play with.
Season 5, Episode 7 — ‘Infinite Regress’
Seven of Nine was rescued from the Borg, a race of half-human and half-android aliens who assimilate victims into emotionless drones. As Seven was a child when she was assimilated, she missed out on some crucial social development and now, as an adult, must learn how to interact with others and develop relationships. Despite their age difference, Seven finds solace in Naomi’s companionship because she’s still developing her social skills as well. Naomi enjoys Seven’s company because she does not have many people to play with, apart from her mother and Neelix the chef, who are both working a lot.
The context of this episode is that Seven keeps having flashbacks to the people she assimilated as a Borg. She encompasses their personalities and acts like them for short periods of time. She plays a game with Naomi, all the while acting with a child’s personality. Seven is still physically an older woman, but her personality has become childlike. Her voice has changed from its usual deep timbre to high pitched and light-hearted. This is supported by the light, playful flute music in the background and the low camera angle, signifying a child’s perspective. When she regains her own personality, her voice changes back and she stops playing the game.
After the crew have resolved the conflict and worked out how to stop these personalities from taking over Seven, the episode ends with a brief exchange between Naomi and Seven in the elevator. Seven says “I wish to participate in recreational activities…instruct me how to play.” The camera moves towards Naomi smiling as she agrees to teach Seven how to play Kadis-kot (see image below). This scene highlights Seven’s willingness to continue developing her friendship with Naomi, and even though there is an age difference, this portrayal of friendship shows how important it is for children to have socialisation while growing up.
Discovery
My final analysis will look at the representations of female friendships in Star Trek’s most recent adaptation: Discovery. It was released at the end of 2017 and is a prequel to the Original Series. The main protagonist, Michael Burnham, is the first female black lead character in a Star Trek series. Her character is complex, having committed mutiny in the first episode and atoning for her actions throughout the rest of the season. I will be analysing the relationship with her roommate Tilly and how their bond grew closer over the course of the series.
Season 1, Episode 3 — ‘Context is for Kings’
Tilly and Michael first meet at the start of episode 3. Having committed her mutiny and now temporarily reassigned to the star-ship Discovery, Michael is assigned a room with a woman who appears to be her polar opposite. Tilly walks in, sees Michael and immediately starts to nervously ramble about how excited she is to have a roommate (“they uh, they told me because of my special needs that I couldn’t have a roommate which was kind of a let-down because a roommate is like an automatic built-in friend”). Michael responds with short sentences and does not any initiate conversation. The wide shots with the two characters far apart indicates distance between them, suggesting that due to their clashing personalities, they might not get on.
At the end of the episode, when Michael is permanently assigned to Discovery, she returns to her room with Tilly and says “I’m still here. Hope you don’t mind” which Tilly replies with “I’m glad.” Already after one episode, there is a simple friendship beginning to form. Their interactions are still quite tentative and formal but there is no longer any aversion from Michael and Tilly appears to be more at ease and no longer rambling. Tilly’s hair is down (compared to their first meeting where it was tied up in a tight, formal bun), suggesting she is now comfortable in Michael’s company. The shots of the two of them are much closer which indicates the beginning of good friendship.
Throughout the rest of the season, the two of them continue to form a close bond by going jogging together and attending a party together. Their friendship is also highlighted subtly with various moments such as Michael putting her arm around Tilly’s shoulder after she had to perform a difficult task and sharing knowing looks and quick smiles. These simple gestures are indicative of a supportive friendship between two women, a representation which is much closer to reality.
Writing in 2006, Diana Relke asked ‘Why has Star Trek failed to exploit the possibility of enhancing the mythos of friendship by developing deep friendships among women? After thirty years, there are still no female friendships that carry anything like the emotional depth or the elements of self-transcendence one sees in male friendships.’ It is true that the first series focused very heavily on the ‘bromance’ between Kirk, Spock, and Bones, but I believe Michael and Tilly’s friendship (even though it’s in its early days) has the potential to live up to this portrayal.
Final Thoughts
It is clear that the representation of female friendships in Star Trek has improved over the years, starting with barely any interaction between female characters in The Original Series to the beginnings of a deep, close bond between Michael and Tilly in Discovery. Lyn Mikel Brown argues that the media led on this story that girls are only ‘competitive, jealous, and ready to take out their female rivals.’
This article has attempted to break down these stereotypes and highlight the cases where genuine interactions between female characters reflected an authentic version of reality. In the wake of the #metoo movement and the growing wave of support for feminist ideas, it’s more important than ever to support our female friends, and to find support and seek comfort from them. As mainstream media begins to represent and celebrate female friendships, hopefully this will translate back to reality where we can all work together to create a more equal future.
References
· Frances-White, D., Fostekew, J., & Barron, S. (2017). The Guilty Feminist episode 76. Female Friendships with Sara Barron. http://guiltyfeminist.com/episodes/. [YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlh1THSuQ08]
· Relke, D. (2006). Drones, Clones, and Alpha Babes: Retrofitting Star Trek’s Humanism, Post 9/11 (First ed.). Canada: University of Calgary Press[ED1] . [Link: https://dspace.ucalgary.ca/bitstream/handle/1880/49319/UofCPress_Dronesclones_2006_Chapter02.pdf;jsessionid=5AD441E57C5B8D579E6BB6D440170E66?sequence=4]
· Mikel Brown, L. (2003). Girlfighting: Betrayal and Rejection among Girls (First ed.). New York and London: New York University Press. [Link: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qfjp6]
· Hollinger, K. (1998). In the Company of Women: Contemporary Female Friendship films. Minneapolis and London: University of Minnesota Press[ED3] . [Link: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.cttts61v]
· Gauntlett, D. (2008). Media, gender and identity: An introduction (Second ed.). London and New York: Routledge[ED5] . [Link: https://www.routledge.com/Media-Gender-and-Identity-An-Introduction-2nd-Edition/Gauntlett/p/book/9780415396615]