Entertainment
From Paris, With Glug: The Alcoholic Star Trek Episode That Gave Us Hope
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
As a franchise, Star Trek is full of episodes that are hard to understand. Sometimes, this is because of all the weird technobabble. You can only hear someone mention tachyons and deflector dishes so many times before you zone out. More often, though, it’s hard to understand an episode because you don’t understand why a character made a surprising decision. This can make Star Trek feel like a horror movie because you find yourself screaming at the screen, wondering why supposedly smart people are making nothing but dumb decisions from beginning to end.
A prime example of this is “Non-Sequitur,” a Voyager episode where Harry Kim wakes up back on Earth. Instead of being stranded in the Delta Quadrant, he’s engaged to the girl of his dreams and generally living his best life. However, he risks it all to restore the timeline so that his best buddy, Tom Paris, can have meaning in his life again. Kim’s decision to ruin his own life for his friend was baffling to everyone, including the actors. But Kim’s shocking choice perfectly defines what Voyager is all about: standing fast to your ideals, no matter the cost.
The Man Who Had It All
“Non-Sequitur” is an episode where Harry Kim seemingly has it all. After his shuttlecraft starts shaking, he suddenly wakes up in a different timeline where he never joined Voyager’s crew. Instead of enjoying a happily ever after with his old flame (and now fiancée) Libby, however, he becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to him. That obsession reaches a fever pitch when he finds out that Tom Paris never made it to Voyager and has become a drunk, bitter has-been. After getting Paris’ reluctant help, the two restore the timeline and rejoin Voyager on its 70-year mission to get home.
It’s a standout episode of Star Trek: Voyager and arguably the first really great Harry Kim episode. However, it can be hard to suspend your disbelief when watching “Non-Sequitur,” especially if you put yourself in Kim’s shoes. For most people, being separated from all their friends and family for the better part of a century is one of the worst things that could ever happen to them. This is an episode where Harry seemingly got a second chance at living an infinitely happier life, but he ultimately threw it away to return to the bleak status quo of his existence in the Delta Quadrant.
From Paris, With Glug
Interestingly, both Ensign Kim actor Garret Wang and Libby actor Jennifer Gatti had the same questions about why the heck Kim would ever want to return to Voyager. Eventually, producer Jeri Taylor revealed the answer in an old interview with Cinefantastique: “The big thing is finding his friend Tom Paris is dissolute, because of this whole change,” she said. “Kim may be living a lovely life with his girlfriend, but it is at the cost of his friend’s happiness, and it just isn’t right. He is too much a young man of principle and integrity to indulge himself when it is at the expense of others.”
Arguably, this perfectly encapsulates the values of Star Trek: Voyager. As an idealistic and principled Starfleet officer, Harry Kim couldn’t screw over his best friend just to make his own life better. Just like Janeway couldn’t use the Caretaker to take her ship back home because she knew it would doom the Ocampa. Kim’s moral dilemma isn’t all that unique. In the finest Trek tradition, he must choose between happiness and duty, and he doesn’t hesitate to choose duty.
Is that message more than a bit cheesy and impractical? Of course. But let’s face it: we watch Star Trek because these characters are aspirational. They give us hope that, hundreds of years from now, humanity will have evolved beyond petty selfishness in the collective pursuit of bettering ourselves.
Harry Kim did something that none of us would have done in his place, and that’s the point. He’s modeling how to be a better man. In this way, “Non-Sequitur” is more than a solid Voyager episode: it’s also the embodiment of this franchise’s greatest ideals, perfectly defining everything that fans love about Star Trek.
Entertainment
BookCon 2026: Authors Rachel Reid, Stephanie Archer talk hockey romance and how it could change the sport for the better
With the fervor of Heated Rivalry, there’s a fierce desire among book readers for even more hockey. On Sunday, April 19, at BookCon, the “You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance’s Hottest Genres”, authors Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry, Game Changer), Emily Rath (Pucking Around), Ngozi Ukazu (Check Please), Stephanie Archer (The Wild Card), and Kate Cochrane (Wake Up, Nat & Darcy) were joined by moderator and fellow author Bal Khabra (Collide) to discuss the rise and continued success of hockey romance.
Khabra kicked off the panel, asking just how hockey became so popular. Ukazu joked that it was as if the genre “escaped containment,” like when the Omegaverse went mainstream, while Reid described the mystery around hockey, saying, “what [the players] are doing seems impossible.” Archer also added that the sport itself is exceptionally hard on the body, and the celebrity around players, especially in Canada, is fun to play with.
But there’s more to the genre’s success than the tropes. “It has to be said,” Rath argued, “that the cornerstone of why this is so popular in publishing is racism.” She went on to say that straight, white women’s voices dominated the romance genre for so long, pointing out that hockey is also the whitest sport. Among major league sports, the NHL is the most predominantly white. In 2022, ESPN reported that 83.6% of league players and staff were white, compared to the NFL, where 25-27% of players are white, or the NBA, where white players make up 17.5% of the league.
Mashable Top Stories
Zooming into the genre, the authors also spoke about the writing process. They dove into the deeper aspects of their work, even the smut. Rath said, “I think the least sexy thing you can ever do is write a sex scene.” A similar sentiment came up during Reid’s Saturday panel, where she described using the sex scenes to further the emotional arc. When readers ask authors if they can skip the spice, Archer says of her own books, “No, you can’t skip the sex scenes. You’re missing so much character development if you don’t go on the journey with them.”
The panel turned to the future, too. Many of the authors write BIPOC and queer representation into their novels, in a genre that often centers on whiteness and homophobia. “We’re writing the world as we want it to be,” Rath said.
Reid has found that there is progress toward a future that these authors and their readers want to see, saying that the NHL is interested in working with them. “People on the inside, they really want to work toward change and want to make this happen.”
With the hockey fandom at an all-time high, there’s a whole team behind these authors ready to drive change.
Entertainment
Save on gas (and everything else) with a $15 BJ’s membership
TL;DR: Score a one-year BJ’s membership for $15 (reg. $60) and save up to 20¢/gal. on gas through April 30 — just in time for spring shopping and road trips.
Credit: BJ’s Wholesale Club
The warmer weather tends to sneak up fast, and so do those grocery bills and gas receipts. A one-year membership to BJ’s Wholesale Club is one of those simple upgrades that can make everyday shopping feel a little more manageable.
You can currently grab a Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal for just $15 (reg. $60) through April 30, which opens the door to savings across groceries, household essentials, and even your weekend cookout prep.
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Let’s start with the obvious, though. Gas prices. Members already get everyday savings at BJ’s Gas, but during this promo window, you’ll get an extra 15¢ off per gallon stacked on top of the usual 5¢ discount — bringing your total to 20¢ off per gallon through April 30.
Inside the club, it’s all about stretching your dollar further. BJ’s is known for offering competitive pricing on national brands, plus a wide selection of fresh produce, meats, bakery items, and deli favorites. Whether you’re planning a backyard BBQ, stocking up for a party, or just trying to cut down on weekly grocery runs, buying in bulk can help simplify things.
Mashable Trend Report
There’s also something to be said for convenience. Fewer trips to the store, more options in one place, and access to seasonal items that make spring and summer feel extra special.
Get a one-year Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal® for just $15 (reg. $60) and enjoy an extra 15¢ off per gallon at any of the 199 BJ’s gas stations through April 30.
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StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
This $43 bundle quietly upgrades your entire PC experience
TL;DR: This rare Microsoft bundle deal gives you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) through May 17.
$42.97
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Save $376.02
Looking for an affordable way to make your old PC feel new again? If you don’t have the funds to buy a brand new computer, don’t worry. The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and Windows 11 Pro Bundle is the next best thing, offering your computer a total upgrade for only $42.97 through May 17.
Don’t count out your dusty old PC. This Microsoft bundle is here to give it a total facelift for less than $50. It kicks off with a lifetime license to some of the brand’s most popular tools — Microsoft Office, which you’ll pay for once and enjoy without any subscription fees.
Mashable Deals
You’ll get permanent access to a suite of eight helpful apps with Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. It includes staples that have been around for decades, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. You’ll also get newer favorites like Teams, OneNote, Access, and Publisher.
Once you’ve loaded the apps onto your device, you can upgrade your OS to Windows 11 Pro. It’s an operating system made for modern professionals, with tools that support your workflow. Enjoy a more powerful search experience, improved voice typing, a seamless interface, snap layouts, and much more.
You can rest easy knowing Windows 11 Pro takes your cybersecurity seriously. You’ll have biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and advanced antivirus defenses to keep your data secure.
Mashable Deals
Show your PC some love with the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro bundle for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) now until May 17.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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