Star Trek’s impact on sci-fi is impossible to overstate, but modern sci-fi shows like The Expanse are now finding ways to bring back some more traditional concepts that faded from the genre. When Star Trek first started airing, it introduced audiences to a world far beyond most people’s imaginations at the time.

While the characters in the story were easy to connect with, and their stories immediately hooked people through their familiarity, the world they inhabited was so alien and distant, almost otherworldly. Of course, this led not only to impressive inventions inspired by the futuristic tech that appeared on the show, but Star Trek also set the bar for what people expected to see in a sci-fi show set in space.

Teleportation tech, advanced medical devices, huge screens displaying an outrageous amount of information; all of these elements became part of the visual language of sci-fi storytelling. However, there were attempts to reinvent or redefine certain aspects and update the language. And yet, sometimes these changes gave up more than they gained.

The Expanse Brought Back Star Trek’s ‘Captain’s Chair’ After BSG Killed It

One of the most popular successors to early Star Trek shows was the incredible Battlestar Galactica franchise. Fans of Star Trek were almost universally enthralled by this rich new story and willingly jumped on board for the ride as the Jupiter-class warship took to the skies.

But while Battlestar Galactica created a thrilling new sci-fi story that resonated with fans of Star Trek and willingly leaned into taking inspiration from that series in many respects, the decision to get rid of the traditional captain’s chair in favor of creating a more militaristic and hierarchical structure in their series ultimately sacrificed something that felt like an essential part of the DNA of this genre.

Thankfully, when The Expanse joined the arena of these kinds of space-faring sci-fi adventure stories, it reinstated the captain’s chair tradition with Jim Holden occupying the position on the iconic Rocinante. Yes, it did not copy this detail exactly, with a more understated seat that is positioned less in the center of the room and instead closer to the pilot, but the effect was the same.

From this seat, Holden is able to control all of the most important parts of operations on the ship, and quickly get status updates from his crew, before issuing informed decisions in a way that puts this chair to the very best use. Ultimately, it proves that the chair is more than a gimmick, but a practical and vital part of commanding a massive space liner.

Star Trek’s ‘Captain’s Chair’ Trope Has Hardly Changed In 60 Years

The function of the captain’s chair as seen in projects like The Expanse, and indeed its originator, Star Trek, has remained remarkably consistent in most any project that chooses to include this detail. It’s a seat of power, and one that allows its occupant to gather all the information they need in order to lead their entire crew.

And with that, the chair is also handed off in times of crisis, which immediately informs the audience who is in charge, and allows those sitting there to lead without pushback… for the most part. Over time, this seat has also grown to become a vital part of telling these stories, and a place for characters to prove themselves.

Today, there is occasionally more humor surrounding the captain’s chair, with shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds shifting some of the focus to catchphrases issued for important orders, and other shows exploring how the characters actually sit in the chair, but ultimately, the captain’s chair remains a pivotal part of these stories, and one worth continuing to include in sci-fi shows in general.

Release Date

2015 – 2022-00-00

Network

SyFy, Prime Video

Showrunner

Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby

Directors

Breck Eisner, Jeff Woolnough, David Grossman, Kenneth Fink, Rob Lieberman, Terry McDonough, Thor Freudenthal, Bill Johnson, David Petrarca, Jennifer Phang, Mikael Salomon, Sarah Harding, Marisol Adler, Anya Adams, Nick Gomez, Simon Cellan Jones

Writers

Georgia Lee, Robin Veith, Hallie Lambert, Matthew Rasmussen, Ty Franck, Naren Shankar, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Daniel Abraham, Dan Nowak

• 

• 

  Dominique Tipper

  Naomi Nagata