Entertainment
Star Trek Creator Secretly Appeared In One Episode, And Nobody Noticed
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Gene Roddenberry is rightfully considered one of the most visionary creators in television history. He brought us Star Trek: The Original Series, kickstarting a franchise that has lasted over 60 years through various movies and spinoff shows. Through the medium of sci-fi, Roddenberry explored major issues ranging from Civil Rights to Cold War tension. In fact, he put almost everything into the first Star Trek show except for himself.
Unlike his wife, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Gene Roddenberry never gave himself a major role in any Star Trek project. This is why you never see his face onscreen at any point. However, what most fans don’t realize is that Roddenberry secretly made a single, uncredited appearance in one episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. In “Charlie X,” the second episode ever broadcast on TV, he served as the voice of the galley chef aboard the Starship Enterprise.
Talking Turkey With Captain Kirk
“Charlie X” is an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series that would arguably be more at home in The Twilight Zone. The Enterprise rescues a 17 year old who is the sole survivor of a crashed ship. The boy soon exhibits extreme powers of telepathy and transmutation, which take a sinister turn when he does things like make people who annoy him disappear from reality. Captain Kirk and his crew are unable to contain the boy, but the godlike aliens who gave Charlie his powers eventually show up and take custody of the dangerous young man.
Based on that description, you’re probably wondering why the heck the Enterprise galley chef even pops up in the episode. “Charlie X” takes place on Thanksgiving, and Captain Kirk wants his crew (who are almost entirely human) to get into the holiday spirit. Earlier in the episode, he tells Charlie that if the crew “has to eat synthetic meat loaf, I want it to look like turkey.” Later, the galley chef talks to Kirk over the ship’s intercom and tells him that even though he put meatloaf in the oven, it has been replaced with actual turkey meat. Charlie laughs, effectively cutting off their conversation.
Making Way For A Woman At Warp
It’s a very short interaction, one that is meant to subtly underscore Charlie’s reality-warping powers. We see the chef at one point, who is played by an unknown actor who doesn’t speak. When the chef speaks over the intercom with Kirk, he is voiced by Gene Roddenberry, making his one and only appearance in a Star Trek episode. William Shatner may have actually acknowledged this cameo on screen, calling the man “chief” instead of “chef.”
The fact that this is Gene Roddenberry’s only onscreen appearance in Star Trek is ironic because his wife became a mainstay actor throughout the franchise. Majel Barrett Rodenberry played Number One in the original pilot episode and Nurse Chapel in The Original Series. She also voiced the ship’s computer in The Original Series and The Next Generation and many other roles (including Spock’s mother, Amanda Grayson) in The Animated Series. For fans of the Golden Age of Star Trek, though, Majel will always be best known as Lwaxana Troi, mother to beloved TNG character Deanna Troi.
Gene Avoided The Screen
As for Gene Roddenberry, he never appeared onscreen in any future Star Trek shows or movies. However, later creators did their best to retroactively make him a part of franchise history. In reference books like the Star Trek Encyclopedia and the Star Trek Chronology, you can see a Photoshopped image of Roddenberry in an older-style Original Series uniform under the listing for Robert April. April is the very first Captain of the Enterprise (before Captain Pike took command) and is played by Adrian Holmes in Strange New Worlds.
We may never know exactly why Gene Roddenberry voiced the lowly, one-off character of the chef in “Charlie X.” In the early days of the show, it might have simply been easier to have him voice the character in the one scene than to hire an entirely new actor. At any rate, this has always been one of the best early episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series. But the fact that it represents Roddenberry’s one and only appearance in any version of Trek makes this episode a bona fide part of franchise history.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on August 2
The Moon is still in its waning gibbous phase following the Full Moon. Here’s what you can see on its surface tonight.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, Aug. 2, NASA’s Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waning Gibbous phase, with 87% of its surface visible.
You don’t need to have lots of visual equipment to see features on the Moon’s surface. In fact, with just your naked eye you can spot the Oceanus Procellarum, Kepler Crater, and Mare Vaporum tonight. However, visual aids do make the experience more advanced, so if you have a pair of binoculars, this will help you see the Alphonsus Crater, Mare Humorum, and the Mare Frigoris. Pull out your telescope (if you have one) to see see all clearer, plus the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Rima Ariadaeus, and the Schiller Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon goes through a complete cycle of eight phases roughly every 29.5 days. As it travels around Earth, the angle between the Sun, Earth and Moon constantly changes, meaning we see different amounts of the Moon’s sunlit side. This is what causes the familiar progression from a thin crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before the cycle repeats.
The eight phases are:
Mashable Light Speed
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Entertainment
Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, walk away with an extra $200 — how to claim this free offer
TL;DR: Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (256GB, unlocked) for $1,199.99 at Amazon and a free $200 gift card bundled in — no trade-in required.
Samsung didn’t ease into its Unpacked event — phones, watches, and smartglasses were all unveiled in one go, which means there’s a lot to sort through if you’re trying to find the one deal that’s actually worth your money.
And here’s one worth grabbing: Amazon is currently bundling the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 with a free $200 gift card — no trade-in, no discount code, just the phone at $1,199.99 with a $200 gift card to use later.
The whole point of a flip phone is the cover screen, and Samsung’s built around that here — FlexWindow lets you handle a range of AI tasks without opening the phone, so quick checks don’t require unfolding it. When you’re shooting photos, you can go hands-free for creative angles, or hold it steady and rely on Super Steady Video to keep the footage smooth.
The Flip 8 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the same chip powering the Fold8, which means gaming and multitasking should hold up even on this smaller form factor.
Battery life is built to last through a full day, and when it runs low, Super Fast Charging gets you back up quickly. If you’re switching from an iPhone, Samsung’s made that transfer easier, too — your photos, contacts, alarms, and passwords come with you, and your messages stay encrypted the whole way.
Mashable Deals
The gift card isn’t an instant perk, though — Samsung sends an email once it’s ready to claim, and that only happens after the phone ships. The offer ends Aug. 6, so the earlier you pre-order, the safer you are before that window shuts.
Grab the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 before Aug. 6, and the $200 gift card is on its way to you.
Topics
Samsung
Samsung Unpacked
Entertainment
Owalas Back-to-School Sale is live — 20% off bottles, bags, accessories, and more
SAVE 20%: From Aug. 2-8, Owala’s Back-to-School Sale takes 20% off sitewide, including bottles, bags, and accessories.
20% off bottles, bags, and accessories until Aug. 8
Owala’s Back-to-School Sale isn’t just about the bottles you already own — the whole lineup is included, so it’s worth looking beyond the FreeSip.
The sale covers everything from hydration essentials like water bottles and tumblers to insulated bags, totes, and crossbodies, plus accessories like lids, straws, and other add-ons. The original FreeSip is still the bestseller for a reason, and the FreeSip Sway is a solid pick if you want something more cupholder-friendly for the car. If coffee’s more your thing, the SmoothSip Slider is built specifically for hot drinks on the go.
Mashable Trend Report
Mashable Deals
And if you need something bigger than a bottle, the Sun-Day Tote is a collapsible bag that packs flat yet holds a lot, making it easy to toss in a backpack or bag during the actual back-to-school rush. They’ve also got a few small essentials — a Bottle Boot, cleaning accessories, stickers, and matching pet bowls.
With 20% off sitewide, this is a good time to stock up across categories rather than just grabbing one bottle — especially if you’ve got a household that goes through water bottles, lunch bags, or travel mugs regularly.
Shop Owala’s Back-to-School Sale until Aug. 8 — stock is bound to run out.
Astros cling to 1-run lead, hold off Rangers in division tilt
Texas lands 5-star RB Landen Williams-Callis
