Friday, December 20, 2013

I Ship It: Reed & Hayes

When I watched Star Trek: Enterprise the first time around, I felt like there was something missing--something not quite true--about Malcolm Reed. For whatever reason, as I watched, I thought, "This should be a gay character."

I wasn't alone. As I found out later, Malcolm Reed was originally intended to be a gay character who would've been outed sometime in the first season. Someone (UPN?) decided that wasn't a good idea and they ended up making Reed a weird, sort of lady's man with twenty-four ex-girlfriends who was simultaneously, inexplicably shy around women. But, I just feel like that's a missed opportunity. How many lady's men with twenty-four ex-girlfriends have there been? Four, actually. Four main characters have been lady-killers with a line of exes behind them and lots and lots of one-episode stands that all ended badly.

So, if that's just a Trek trope, why am I so worked up about Malcolm being gay? Well, because it's this show. In this time. That's what this culture needed. And that's what Star Trek does. Trek is a show that breaks barriers and does firsts. It's a show that courageously leads people to better cultural understanding and maturely holds their hand all the while entertaining with high concept story-lines.

As I watched Seasons One and Two, I felt over and over again what a missed opportunity they'd had with Malcolm. But, in Season Three, my feelings became even stronger. Especially when Major Hayes showed up.
Oh, yes. 
Now allow me to tell you the amazing love story that could have been (and basically was):

Right from the get-go, Hayes and Reed are at each other's throats (though not literally--that would've been dreamy) over who should have control over Enterprise's tactical operations. They argue for a full twenty-three episodes over territory and personnel and training exercises. Their relationship has all the makings of cinematic romance. In fact, it almost perfectly mirrors that of T'Pol and Tucker's romantic relationship. Arguments. Denial. Bitching to their friends about each other. Until, finally, they passionately come together.

In fact, in the episode, Harbinger, T'Pol and Tucker spend the whole time arguing and sniping at each other until they finally, passionately crash into each other--kissing all naked-like. It's a big moment. You know it's been a long time coming but it's still a big deal when it happens so it's satisfying. Meanwhile, Reed and Hayes spend their half of the episode arguing and sniping at each other until they finally, passionately crash into each other--throwing punches until they both look like this:
How much more surprising, satisfying, and Star Trek would it have been if, once they started fighting, Reed and Hayes fell into the same kind of romantic embrace that T'Pol and Tucker were afforded? It could have been the beginning of an important Star Trek first. 

And, this would've been the end: 
Only a few episodes later, Hayes is mortally wounded and (surprise, surprise) it's Malcolm Reed who comes to his deathbed. This scene is already touching because of their antagonistic past and their ability to reconcile here but it could've been amazing had they had a deeper relationship--had they been the first LGBT Star Trek couple. 

I'm apparently not the first person to think this. When searching for pictures of these two I came across A LOT of Reed/Hayes fan fiction and quite a lot of it (like the Kirk/Spock fanfic of yesteryear) is NC-17. People have made delightful romantic videos about these two and posted romantic fan-art on DeviantArt. 

But, Star Trek, why leave it up to the adoring public? Why, for that matter, leave it up to people like Joss Whedon and Russell T. Davis? I'm SO glad those other things exist but you are the one who's supposed to be pushing buttons and boundaries--going where no TV show has dared to go before. You were fearlessly running episodes that blatantly opposed the oppression of minorities during the most heated years of America's Civil Rights movement. You featured American TV's first interracial kiss. You influenced generations of people to be braver, wiser, kinder and more courageous about standing up for the persecuted. 

So...what happened? 
Why have you never featured an openly gay main character? 
What happened to your original, bold nature? 


  1. Just when I think I can't adore you more... you do a post like this AshleyRose. : ) But... truth-be-told... Paramount (the boys club) hasn't been ready for that kind of mainstreaming of a (sexual) minority, because they (possibly quite-justifiably) believe their audience isn't ready for that particular relationship. And for all the enlightenment taught to Trek fans since TOS, we human beings don't seem to be ready to actually "LIVE" the ideologies of Gene's universe. There's STILL an immature, disdainful, mass of Star Trek fans who would change the channel when faced with that kind of live-and-let-live mentality. One doesn't have to go much farther than the message boards of TrekWeb and the like to see that bigotry, and homophobia and even sexism are too dear to some people's way of life to let go of it, and allow themselves the opportunity to become invested in a story that may not reflect their own attractions. I wish we were there. But we're not.

    I'm quite convinced that Enterprise couldn't have won an audience with that social issue or any other. People were determined to hate it and celebrate it's failure before it was even on the air. As much as I love DS9... I still believe Enterprise is the most consistent Trek series of all 5, with more fantastic episodes (and fewer duds) per season than any other. That wasn't good enough for the "fan boys". And as a self-respecting gay guy myself, I'm ever-so-slightly glad that the naysayers don't have "the introduction of an LGBT character" to pin the ratings failure on. (That's really pessimistic of me to say. And I hate that.)

    Reed and Hayes most-certainly could have had that kind of sexual tension before, during and after that fight scene, and once the dust had settled from the inevitable shit-storm of fan outrage, casual viewers might have taken a look and furthermore taken Enterprise seriously as not just another Trek show, but a viable, clever drama unafraid of taking a risk. Who knows! I still hold out hope for Season 5. I honestly do. It's really not even too-far-gone to envision a gay Malcolm Reed who was just in a hill of self-denial - but - that doesn't sound very interesting to me.
    I hope the next series (or season of Enterprise!!!) just "goes there", out-of-the-box and can treat an LGBT character like a "non-issue" enough to appease those who would balk, without making the character a sexless bore.

    Happy Holidays my friend! : )

  2. Thank you so much, Johnny! I'm so glad you commented on this post. I agree it's awful to think that the people behind what was once such a brave franchise has been toned down over fear of fanboy backlash. It's insulting to me as a Star Trek fan and as a human being.
    My great wish is that, in the next Star Trek movie, they just go ahead and make Sulu gay. We've seen so little of his personal life that it wouldn't be contradictory at all and it seems like it would be an excellent tribute to George Takei.
    Either way, if we do get another series, it needs to happen. It seems absolutely ridiculous and foolish that it hasn't.

  3. That had not even occurred to me (Sulu). George Takei would absolutely approve and applaud it. Perhaps he and "Cupcake" would make a sexy pair. ; )

  4. It was probs Berman that made that decision. Personally, I think Malcolm is Bi.


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