Starfleet Academy Pays Tribute To One Memorable Star Trek Guest Star

Contains spoilers for "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" Season 1, Episode 2

There was a time when Starfleet Academy stood at the center of the United Federation of Planets. That all ended amid The Burn, which was caused by a subspace shockwave that led to the deaths of millions, a huge part of the "Star Trek: Discovery" timeline. Years later, the Federation is ready to start a new chapter by reopening Starfleet Academy, but the new "Star Trek" series proves that the Federation isn't ready to leave the past behind for good.

While "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" spends its first season introducing us to new characters, it also makes several nods to beloved ones from years gone by, including Boothby (who was played by Ray Walston, one of the many "Star Trek" actors who have passed away). The Starfleet Academy gardener shaped the lives of several captains, and his legacy lives on at the Boothby Memorial Park, which is seen toward the beginning of "Starfleet Academy" Season 1, Episode 2. His career spanned more than 50 years at the school, and he mentored several students, including Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).

Boothby famously helped Captain Picard answer a deep moral question in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Season 5 episode "The First Duty." This was the first of Boothby's three appearances in the franchise, and it helped us understand his natural wisdom. Walston had his own legacy to uphold when stepping into this guest role, and it's all due to a sitcom that turned him into a science fiction icon during the same decade that "Star Trek: The Original Series" premiered.

Before Ray Walston was Boothby in "Star Trek," he was Uncle Martin, an extraterrestrial who crashlands on Earth in the 1960s sitcom "My Favorite Martian." He makes plenty of mistakes while pretending to be human but always gets away with them, just about managing to keep his identity hidden. These near-misses lead to a lot of big laughs, and Walston seemingly leaned on his experience playing Uncle Martin for the "Star Trek: Voyager" Season 5 episode "In the Flesh." In this episode, Walston portrays an alien who is posing as Boothby during a strategic simulation. In the beginning he's his usual self, engaging in friendly conversations with Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran), but he uses the rest of his screentime to reveal his true identity and motives. The transition is seamless thanks to Walston's mastery of tone and body language.

Ron Surma, who helped assemble the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," believes that Walston was perfect for the role of Boothby. "In some cases, for certain roles, there'd be a wish list," he told StarTrek.com. "Most of the time that didn't work out because they weren't available. But the one time it worked out, for example, was with Ray Walston, who was absolutely first choice." According to director Paul Lynch, who helmed "The First Duty," it was a joy seeing Walston and Patrick Stewart together. "An American pro and an English pro, equal, and they were terrific together," he told StarTrek.com. Boothby had a big impact on the people he met at Starfleet Academy, and it's clear that Walston was just as influential on set, so it's fitting that "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" pays tribute to him with the Boothby Memorial Park.

Uncle Martin's spaceship doesn't feature very prominently in "My Favorite Martian" — it's shown in the premiere episode and only pops up on a few occasions after that. However, despite not playing a big part in the sitcom, the ship left a lasting impression of a young viewer by the name of Doug Drexler, who would go on to become an Oscar-winning makeup artist, graphic designer, illustrator, and visual effects artist known primarily for his work in the "Star Trek" franchise. It was Drexler who designed the hero ship for "Star Trek: Voyager," and he was inspired by Uncle Martin's vessel from "My Favorite Martian."

When he sat down for an interview with the podcast All Access Star Trek, Drexler revealed that he was obsessed with "My Favorite Martian" growing up and that the ship from the show — which eschewed the classic flying saucer shape that was popular at the time — informed the design of the USS Voyager. "I was a big fan of 'My Favorite Martian' with Ray Walston," he said. "His spaceship was like a one-man sportster almost, which was hidden in a garage. And I love that design so much. I had a model of Uncle Martin's spaceship on my desk. I did one [USS Voyager design] that had the elongated nose. And they decided: 'That's it.'"