Summary
23 years afterStar Trek: Voyager ended, Robert Picardo’s Doctor is more important toStar Trekthan ever.Robert Picardo will be returning toStar Trekto make the Doctor one of four legacyStar Trekcharacters joining theStar Trek: Starfleet Academycast.This comes right on the heels of Netflix dropping all ofStar Trek: Prodigyseason 2, in which the Doctor appears as the Chief Medical Officer of the Lamarr-class USS Voyager-A. InStar Trek: Prodigy, the Emergency Medical Hologram also moonlights as the aptly-renamed Emergency Mentorship Hologram, proving that the Doctor has once again expanded the reach of his original programming.
The Doctor served an important function in theStar Trek: Voyagerensemble that was originally popularized byLeonard Nimoy’s SpockinStar Trek: The Original Series. Like Spock, the Doctor represents"the other": someone who isn’t quite part of humanity, but observes the human condition from the outside in order to comment on it. As a hologram, Robert Picardo’s Doctor is functionally immortal, so the EMH has the benefit of observing centuries of human (and alien) behavior. As a physician, the Doctor learned to use those observations to heal others. And as a character,the Doctor is all about change.
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Why Robert Picardo’s Doctor Has Become So Important To Star Trek On Paramount Plus
The Doctor Is A Living Historical Figure That Unites Star Trek Eras
Robert Picardo’s Doctor has become important tonewStar Trekshowson Paramount+, which have been built on the foundation of legacyStar Trekshows.Star Trek: Starfleet Academytakes place inStar Trek’s 32nd century, and featuresStar Trek: Discoverycharacters who originated in the 23rd century, including Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro). By appearing inStar Trek: Starfleet Academy,Robert Picardo’s Doctor creates a link betweenStar Trek’s 24th century and 32nd century, and effectively completes the circuit that ties eachStar Trekera to the others.
Star Trek: Voyagerseason 6, episode 24, “Life Line”
The Doctor & Dr. Herman Zimmerman
Star Trek: Deep Space Nineseason 5, episode 16, “Doctor Bashir, I Presume”
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
The Doctor
The Doctor’s wealth of knowledge, gleaned as a firsthand observer of 24th and 25th-century events, can serve to clarify history. InStar Trek: Voyagerseason 4, episode 23, “Living Witness”, a backup version of the Doctor’s program was reactivated in the 31st century and recontextualized known facts into a meaningful — and truthful — narrative.The Doctor expanded what it means to heal othersby repairing a deep cultural rift. With a new definition of healing, and Robert Picardo’s talent for both comedic and dramatic work, the Doctor may just be a defining feature of newStar Trekshows.
The Doctor’s Comeback In Star Trek: Prodigy & Starfleet Academy Explained
Robert Picardo’s Doctor Continues To Learn And To Teach
The Doctor’s comeback inStar Trek: ProdigyandStar Trek: Starfleet Academyis a natural extension of the Doctor’s character arc inStar Trek: Voyager. On the original USS Voyager,the Doctor learned to grow beyond his programming, taking up hobbies like opera and writing holonovels, while teaching ex-Borg Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) how to reclaim her humanity. InStar Trek: Prodigy, the Doctor builds on his prior work with Seven, and becomes a mentor to theUSS Protostar crew. Chances are the Doctor will continue this trend inStarfleet Academyas an Academy instructor.
Robert Picardo’s Doctor is a nearly immortal mentor who fully embodies coreStar Trekideals like growth and self-discovery, and learns compassion as a skill. The concepts of growing beyond one’s programming and discovering a new purpose are important messages to the Doctor’s teenage charges inStar Trek: Prodigyand the young adultcast ofStar Trek: Starfleet Academy. The Doctor’s lessons learned easily become lessons taught, showing that problems are solved when we embrace change. No wonder Robert Picardo’s Doctor is an important part of both the legacy and the future ofStar Trek.
