Star Trek: Voyager killed off the troubled Betazoid crewman Lon Suder (Brad Dourif) much too soon, robbing the series of its most fascinating recurring character in season 3. After the events of the Voyager series premiere "Caretaker," the titular vessel became home to both its surviving Starfleet crew and a group of Maquis operatives who also found themselves stranded in the Delta Quadrant. The Maquis survivors were given provisional Starfleet commissions, with their leader Chakotay (Robert Beltran) even becoming the ship's First Officer.
Among the former Maquis operatives was Lon Suder, an empathic Betazoid who had uncontrollable violent urges all of his life. Suder's world wasn't even threatened by the Cardassians; he joined the Maquis so he could have an acceptable outlet for his violence. After Suder killed a Voyager crewman for no reason, Lieutenant Tuvok (Tim Russ) attempted to cure him of his urges through a Vulcan mind meld. The plan was partially successful, as Suder's homicidal urges eased somewhat, but were temporarily transferred to Tuvok. After recovering, Tuvok continued to work with Suder to help him maintain his self-control.
Voyager Killed Off Lon Suder Too Soon
In the Star Trek: Voyager two-part episode "Basics," which bridged seasons 2 and 3, Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her crew lost control of the ship when it was attacked by the Kazon. Suder was believed to have been killed in the initial attack, but he managed to survive. With the assistance of the holographic EMH known as the Doctor (Robert Picardo), Suder sought to retake control of Voyager. Forced to fight and kill multiple Kazon, Suder was tormented by his return to violence. Suder eventually set the stage for Janeway and friends to retake the ship, but he was killed by a Kazon in the process.
Suder's death was heroic, but fairly unceremonious. He was privately mourned by Tuvok, though the rest of the crew had little regard for a man they still considered to be a cold-blooded murderer. Had Suder been given more time to evolve as a recurring Star Trek: Voyager character, his death would have been all the more impactful. Suder was a fascinating character concept, and Brad Dourif was notably more compelling than a number of Voyager's main characters. Suder's abrupt death felt like the show jettisoning one of the few recurring characters that were clicking in the show's turbulent early days.
Suder Could Have Been Voyager's Defining Recurring Character
While all Star Trek series are defined by their main casts, many of them also feature deeply loved recurring characters who show up for a handful of episodes every season. Star Trek: The Next Generation's most beloved recurring character is likely the empathic bartender Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) who dispensed drinks and advice from Ten Forward. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine featured a cavalcade of great recurring characters who could even carry entire episodes. One of DS9's most popular is the Cardassian spy/tailor Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson). Those characters could always be relied upon to memorably elevate sometimes mediocre episodes while showing that the viewpoints of those shows extended beyond the core cast.
By its very nature, Star Trek: Voyager was not really set up to feature recurring characters, as they hurtled through the dangerous Delta Quadrant as fast as they could. But the isolated tortured Suder would have fit that bill perfectly. Had he been given the chance to grow and evolve over the show's seven-season run, he could have become a Star Trek icon. Suder was a missed opportunity for Star Trek: Voyager to become a richer, more interesting show.