Entertainment
Star Trek Actor Narrowly Avoided Getting Fired For Drunken Crimes
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Enterprise was the last show from the Golden Age of Star Trek, and it was very different than the series that had come before. This new show wasn’t afraid to be weird and wild, which is why it had both a smoking hot Vulcan lady in a catsuit and an ongoing excuse to have the actors strip down to their undies and massage each other (seriously, every D-Con chamber scene looks like a vintage Cinemax skin flick). Its characters were also much rougher around the edges, which is why characters like Trip Tucker get to be believably flawed compared to more polished characters like Commander Riker or Captain Picard.
In Enterprise, Trip gets into some crazy hijinks, including getting tied up and stripped down while chasing tail on an alien sex planet. As it turns out, though, some of the character’s onscreen misadventures may have taken inspiration from the actor’s own drunken hijinks. While filming the very first episode of Enterprise, Trip Tucker actor Connor Trinneer crashed a Paramount party, abused the open bar, and stole four entire bottles of alcohol from the bar. The next day, he worried about losing his job when he got what every drinker dreads: a surprise phone call from his big boss!
The Sexiest, Sweatiest Star Trek Series
On Enterprise, Connor Trinneer plays Trip Tucker, the friendly chief of engineering. With his southern drawl and amiable demeanor, Trip is one of the warmest members of the entire crew. But he was still rough around the edges, often clashing with the Vulcan T’Pol as part of their compelling “will they, won’t they” dynamic. He also loves to party, which sometimes gets him in trouble. On one occasion, he gets pregnant after hooking up with an exotic alien. On another occasion, he and Reed were so horny on the planet Risa that they followed two alien women into a club’s basement; the “ladies” shapeshift into men, tying up and robbing the Starfleet officers.
Trinneer was always good at bringing his character’s exploits to life. One possible reason for this is that the actor has had a few of his own drunken misadventures over the years. The most notorious of these happened when he was filming “Broken Bow,” the very first episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. The night before some important scenes were scheduled for filming, Trinneer discovered a party on the Paramount lot. The party had nothing to do with Trek; instead, it was a party held to appeal to would-be foreign advertisers. Regardless of who the party was for, though, Trinneer attended and discovered that it had the one thing every boozehound loves to find: free alcohol!
Away Team, Party Of One
On the special features for the Season 1 Enterprise Blu-rays, Connor Trinneer revealed that not only did he crash this particular party, but he also took major advantage of the free hooch. Once he got drunk enough, he decided to keep the party going in the most brazen way. That is, he snuck behind the bar and stole four entire liquor bottles, bringing them all home with him! It really was theft, too: not only was he not an invited guest, but nobody was authorized to walk away with the alcohol behind the bar. But he wasn’t too worried at the time. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?
The next day, the worst did happen: Trinneer got a phone call from Rick Berman. Now, Berman wasn’t just any bigwig. He was the executive producer overseeing the entire franchise and, effectively, the man in charge of all things Star Trek. For the actor, this was like getting a phone call from his boss’s boss’s boss. Like many of us would in his place, Trinneer assumed he was in trouble and thought that he was about to get fired. Understandably, he was full of regret because, as far as he knew, he was about to lose a life-changing acting gig because of a drunken workplace crime.
That Face When Your Boss Calls
As it turns out, though, Rick Berman knew absolutely nothing about Connor Trinneer’s hijinks from the night before. The executive producer was simply calling the actor with news about his Enterprise character. The character’s real name was Charles Tucker, but he was originally going to go by the nickname “Spike.” When Berman called Trinneer, he just wanted him to know that the producers had decided that the character’s nickname was going to be “Trip” instead.
Relief flooded through Trinneer when he discovered the reason for Berman’s call. He had gotten away with it! Not only did he crash a party and get wasted for free, but he came home with plenty of extra alcohol. Considering that he kept his cool and kept his job, he even had a reason to pour himself a glass and celebrate. Of course, you could say that Rick Berman got his own revenge: years later, he killed off Trinneer’s character for no real reason, a decision that the Enterprise fandom still mourns to this day.
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The best HBO Max deals and bundles in May 2026
The best HBO Max deals and bundles in May 2026:
Looking for some exciting new films or shows to watch this spring? HBO Max is the place to find them. With a new season of Euphoria dropping weekly on the platform and a brand new season of House of the Dragon coming in June, there’s plenty to watch right now.
If these have caught your eye, the good news is that HBO Max has a few different bundles available at the moment that are worth checking out, including a popular bundle with Disney+ and Hulu. With streaming prices on the rise, a bundle like this can be a great way to save some cash while retaining access to your favorite services.
Alongside bundles, we’ve also broken down HBO Max’s standard plans in case you’re interested in its service on its own.
Best Disney+ bundle deal
$19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free
Why we like it
The HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu bundle is a top-tier choice for those looking to have access to some of the biggest streaming services around. Starting at $19.99 per month, this bundle grants you access to Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max’s streaming services for a much lower price than what you’d pay for them on their own. If you’ve already got Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, this bundle is worth every cent. If you’re interested, there are two plan options to choose from:
Best Hulu bundle deal
Add HBO Max to your Hulu base plan from $10.99 per month
Why we like it
If you’re not interested in the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max mega bundle, you can just get Hulu and HBO Max together if you already have a Hulu base plan, which starts at $11.99 per month. HBO Max Basic with Ads can be added onto your plan for $10.99 per month, or you can splash out on the HBO Max Standard plan for $18.49 per month.
Best student deal
Students save 50% on HBO Max Basic With Ads
Why we like it
It’s always nice when streaming services have a deal for students, and HBO Max’s offer is definitely worth taking advantage of. Students who can verify their status with UNiDAYS are eligible to get the HBO Max Basic With Ads plan for just $5.49 per month. That’s a 50% discount off its $10.99 monthly price. After verifying your status, you’ll receive a unique code that can be used to redeem the discounted plan on HBO Max.
HBO Max’s monthly plans
HBO Max offers a few different subscription plans. If you don’t mind having to sit through ads, HBO Max’s Basic With Ads plan starts at $10.99 per month or the annual plan runs for $109.99 per year. If you can’t stand ads and don’t mind throwing down a bit more cash, the Standard plan will cost you $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year. If you really want to go big on an HBO Max plan, you can spring for the fancy Premium plan, which costs $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year.
Below we’ve broken down what comes with each of these plans, per HBO Max’s website, so you can know a bit more before you buy.
Basic With Ads — $10.99 per month, $109.99 per year
Mashable Deals
Standard (Ad-free) — $18.49 per month, $184.99 per year
Premium (Ad-free) — $22.99 per month, $229.99 per year
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Stream on four devices at once
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4K Ultra HD video quality (as available)
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Dolby Atmos immersive audio (as available)
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100 downloads to watch on the go
If you’re wondering where to start once you’ve set yourself up with a HBO Max subscription, we’ve got an excellent selection of recommendations to point you in the right direction. Looking for a great TV show to kickstart your next binge-watching session? Have a look through our roundup of the 20 best TV shows streaming on HBO Max. Or if you prefer movies, we narrowed down the 25 best movies on HBO Max to make your next movie night a spectacular one.
Entertainment
Ive tested dozens of earbuds. I like these 3 AirPods alternatives.
Folks who prefer earbuds with a stem, people who want great ANC for under $100, anyone looking for excellent battery life, and anyone who wants an all-around pair of earbuds that make as much sense at the gym as they do in the office should opt for the EarFun Air Pro 4.
Most similar to: AirPods 4 with ANC
The EarFun Air Pro 4s are a no-brainer pick as an affordable AirPods alternative — they are Mashable’s favorite ANC earbuds under $100 after all. Performance-wise, they’ll sit more in line with the AirPods 4, but fit-wise, they’ll be more similar to the AirPods Pro 3, thanks to the silicone ear tips that situate more firmly in the ear canal. Honestly, that’s a plus — the AirPods 4 can be much more hit-or-miss at fitting different ear shapes. Beyond the design, these earbuds have impressively adept ANC powered by six internal microphones. Plus, it’s adjustable. I can’t say I noticed massive differences between the various levels, but still, I appreciated that the flexibility was there. Much like the Sony XM6 buds, EarFun shows up Apple when it comes to the customization of the sound profile, thanks to the custom equalizer and presets. Especially for the price point, the sound is surprisingly robust, clear, and dynamic. Maybe not quite on Apple’s level, but not too far off, either. Finally, you’ll get between seven and a half to eight hours of battery life per charge, plus 27 and a half additional hours with the case, making them a great option for anyone who finds themselves using their earbuds round the clock and running down the battery more often than they’d prefer.
Affordability: These earbuds are already $79.99, but almost always go on sale for $62.99, and occasionally even lower to $53.99.
What you might miss: Despite the similarly stemmed design to AirPods, EarFun opts for touch controls on these earbuds, which are mildly consistent at best and straight-up inconsistent at work. During my testing of the buds, I ended up toggling the touch controls off because I found them a little too frustrating to use. The case is also on the bigger side, making the earbuds not quite as portable as AirPods.
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