Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) missed out on promotion throughout Star Trek: Voyager, and will have to wait even longer to become Captain after his cameo was cut from Star Trek: Picard season 3. Showrunner Terry Matalas revealed his grand vision for the Picard season 3 finale, which would have resurrected Commander Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes), brought back Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), and promoted Ensign Harry Kim to Captain. Sadly, budgetary constraints led to these cameos being cut from the final script draft, raising the question of when, if ever, viewers will see Harry Kim become a Starfleet Captain.
The USS Voyager was Ensign Kim’s first posting, and the young officer remained in that rank during the seven-year voyage through the Delta Quadrant. This was despite the demotion and promotion of his best friend Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and the promotion of Tuvok (Tim Russ) to Lieutenant Commander. The reasons for a lack of promotion for Kim appear to be rooted in behind-the-scenes conflict between actor Garrett Wang and executive producer Rick Berman, but Star Trek is now in a position to address this sleight against both the character and the actor.
When Will Captain Harry Kim Appear In Star Trek?
Terry Matalas’ desire to promote Harry Kim reveals that there’s still a desire to see the character in modern Star Trek. Harry Kim is yet to join the list of returning Star Trek: Voyager characters, but there’s several potential Trek shows in which the promoted Harry could appear. The most obvious of these shows is Star Trek: Prodigy, which is essentially a Voyager sequel show, depicting Janeway’s search for her former First Officer, Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran). As Janeway and her crew of young charges set off to rescue Chakotay, it’s possible that Prodigy season 2 could feature cameos by other Voyager characters who wish to help with their mission.
The most likely possibility for a Captain Harry Kim appearance is in Terry Matalas’ Star Trek: Legacy, should it get the green light. Following on from the events of Star Trek: Picard season 3, it will pick up the story of Starfleet in the 25th century, and promises to feature several legacy characters. As Matalas had hoped to put Captain Harry Kim in the Picard finale, it’s highly likely that he will seize the chance to realize the story he had in mind should Star Trek: Legacy get commissioned.
Why Harry Kim Will Go From Ensign To Star Trek Captain
The alternate timeline from the Star Trek: Voyager finale is dated 2404, three years after the events of Star Trek: Picard season 3. In that timeline, Harry Kim had attained the rank of Captain, and commanded the USS Rhode Island on a four-year mission. This four-year mission would be taking place within the timeline of Star Trek: Legacy which would presumably begin in 2402, with Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) in command of the USS Enterperise-G. Although Admiral Janeway changed history to bring back the USS Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant much earlier, there’s no reason that Kim’s career progression wouldn’t remain intact.
It’s been over two decades since the USS Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant, which is a long time for Kim to have earned his four pips. The exact details of how Harry Kim worked his way up through the ranks will likely never be explored in extensive detail, but assisting Janeway and her young crew in Star Trek: Prodigy could light the way to the captain’s chair. Star Trek: Voyager has already established that Harry Kim had it in him to be Captain in the 25th century, now it’s up to modern Star Trek to deliver on that promise.
