Robert Duncan McNeill recalls not liking his character, Lieutenant Tom Paris, in the early seasons of Star Trek: Voyager. McNeill played Tom Paris in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager,
which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025.
Appearing on The Transporter Room podcast with Chris Garis, Allyson Leach-Heid, and Linda Paiges, Robert Duncan McNeill frankly recalls how much he disliked the way Tom Paris was written at the beginning of
I didn’t like him. I didn’t like him the first season. They kept writing these things, and it wasn’t just dialogue. I don’t think they found his voice yet early on. But it was also action, what he did, the things they wrote that he did. It was like, ‘Ugh, you’re taking one step forward, two steps back.’ You’re doing some really jerky things. I don’t like this guy, why would the audience like this guy if he’s doing what he’s doing?
I was really happy that they let go of [Tom Paris’ early characterization]. I think they had this idea that Tom was like a Han Solo or a Julian Bashir. Not even Julian, he was like sweet and earnest. Tom was… he’d been around the block, he kind of had a chip on his shoulder, he was rude to people, he was self-absorbed and selfish, and didn’t have a good relationship with women. Didn’t talk about women nicely. Ugh, I didn’t like him.
But the fact that he evolved… If he hadn’t been such a hard to like character early on, I think the satisfaction of where he ended up would not have been as good. So in the end, I think it was a good thing, but watching those early episodes…
Watch Robert Duncan McNeill on The Transporter Room below:
Part of the reason for Lieutenant Tom Paris’ early characterization as a jerk was that Tom was initially based on Nicholas Locarno, whom Robert Duncan McNeill previously played in
Lieutenant Tom Paris was created with many similarities to Nick Locarno, including the actor who played him. As Star Trek: Voyager continued, however, Tom became a better person, a trusted friend to the USS Voyager’s crew, and Paris started a romance with Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson), which helped wash away his rotten early characterization.
The Braxton matriarch’s heartbreaking confession includes the detail that the “whole town knew,” sparking a massive online debate about the true meaning of forgiveness and betrayal.
Evelyn Braxton, the revered matriarch of the Braxton dynasty, has always been a symbol of strength and grace. But in a recent, stunningly candid confession, she has pulled back the curtain on one of the most painful chapters of her life, revealing a betrayal so deep it has left fans speechless.
In a moment of raw honesty, Miss E revealed that her ex-husband’s infidelity was not a one-time mistake but a decade-long affair. The most gut-wrenching detail, however, was where it took place: in her own marital bed.
“They were sleeping together in my bed for 10 long years,” she said, her pain still palpable. “Who would ever get over that? It’s downright lowdown and disgusting that you would bring another woman with her big draws and candles lit into my bed like it’s something special.”
The visceral details she shared—the “big draws” and “candles lit”—paint a picture of a calculated and deeply disrespectful affair, one that desecrated the sanctity of her home and marriage.
Adding another layer of profound hurt to the story, Evelyn revealed that this was an open secret. The “whole town knew” what was happening, yet no one ever told her. The betrayal wasn’t just from her husband; it was a silent conspiracy from her entire community, leaving her isolated in a truth that everyone else was privy to.
Evelyn’s story has ignited a powerful debate online. She made it clear that while she may have moved forward, forgiveness does not mean forgetting. The scars from such a profound betrayal are permanent.
Her experience has fans asking themselves a difficult question: Could you ever truly forgive something like that? Is a decade of deception, especially one that happens in your most sacred space, the ultimate, unforgivable betrayal?
Miss E’s story is a heartbreaking masterclass in resilience, but it is also a raw and honest look at the wounds that never fully heal. She has given a voice to a type of pain that is often suffered in silence, and in doing so, has reminded everyone that some betrayals cut too deep to ever truly forget.