An Actor Just Appeared In Star Trek & A Star Trek Parody Only A Few Days Apart

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The Star Trek franchise is so well-known that it’s become a frequent target for parody. We see this in everything from affectionate homages like The Orville and Galaxy Quest, to sharp satire like the famous Black Mirror episode. In fact, Star Trek parody has almost become a genre of its own. Interestingly, Star Trek has even poked fun at itself, with the animated comedy Lower Decks including parodic elements, even though it’s considered official canon.

It’s actually quite common for actors from Star Trek to also appear in comedic shows that playfully imitate the series. Several Star Trek veterans, including Tim Russ, Marina Sirtis, and Robert Picardo, have guest-starred on The Orville, for example. But it’s rare to see an actor working on a Star Trek project and a Star Trek parody in the same week.

Tatiana Maslany Just Pulled Off A Rare Star Trek Double Feature

Tatiana Maslany joined the Star Trek universe in season one of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, playing Anisha Mir, the mother of the show’s main character, Caleb. Although she wasn’t in every episode, Maslany’s character played a key role in the season finale, assisting her son and his fellow cadets in defeating a pirate who threatened the Federation.

Although it doesn’t look like Tatiana Maslany will be back for season two of Starfleet Academy, there’s still a chance her character, Anisha, could appear again in the future. Past experience with Star Trek shows that even short-term roles can become ongoing. Maslany most recently appeared in the Starfleet Academy episode “Rubincon,” which came out on March 12th.

On March 18th, the first three episodes of Invincible season 4 became available on Prime Video. The second episode is largely set in space, following J.K. Simmons’ character Omni-Man and Seth Rogen’s Allen as they search for a way to defeat the villainous Viltrumites. They travel on a spaceship belonging to the Coalition of Planets, which is clearly inspired by, and pays homage to, Star Trek: The Next Generation, including its ship and crew.

The set design, with its neutral colors and matching uniforms, instantly calls to mind the starship Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The characters are equally familiar – a bald captain, a robot science officer nicknamed “Download,” a Worf-like security chief, and a counselor reminiscent of Deanna Troi. This isn’t just a fleeting reference; these characters appear repeatedly in the episode and may show up again later in the season.

The captain, who initially tries to act like Captain Picard, quickly proves to be a poor leader and is replaced by Allen’s colleague, Telia. She takes command of the ship – affectionately nicknamed ‘not-the-Enterprise.’ It’s funny because Telia is voiced by Tatiana Maslany, meaning the actress has appeared in both a genuine Star Trek production and a comedic Star Trek parody within only six days.

Invincible’s Parody Is Like If Star Trek Crews Were Incompetent

The Invincible parody of Star Trek isn’t really a critique of the original, but it’s also not a celebration. The captain is portrayed as completely incompetent, and the crew just aimlessly follows orders. Their spaceship is ancient and falling apart – it should have been decommissioned long ago. It doesn’t seem like the parody is trying to say anything about Star Trek today… at least, it probably isn’t.

It’s become increasingly common to see the line between official Star Trek and shows that playfully imitate it get blurred, and this is a great example with an actor appearing in both consecutively. Even though Invincible‘s take on Star Trek isn’t entirely positive, it’s still a big recognition of the show’s impact that these kinds of scenes are happening elsewhere and are immediately understood as references to the iconic Star Trek.

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2026-03-22 18:58