Deconstructing Duality: Race, Identity, and B’Elanna Torres in Star Trek Voyager’s "Faces"
Star Trek, throughout its storied history, has consistently grappled with characters existing in the liminal spaces between cultures and identities. From Spock’s poignant exploration of his human and Vulcan heritage to Worf’s role as a symbol of Klingon integration within the Federation on The Next Generation, the franchise has consistently returned to this archetype. Even Sisko’s multifaceted position in Deep Space Nine, simultaneously navigating the roles of Starfleet officer, diplomat, military leader, and spiritual emissary, exemplifies this ongoing thematic fascination.
Early on, Star Trek Voyager joined this trend, introducing B’Elanna Torres as a breakout character whose identity was a complex intersection of her past as a Maquis rebel and her dual human and Klingon heritage. "Faces," the 14th episode of Voyager’s first season, marked the show’s first real, albeit highly controversial, attempt to explore the latter aspect of her identity.
In "Faces," the crew encounters the Vidiians, a species ravaged by a devastating plague who resort to harvesting organs from other species to survive. During an away mission, the Vidiians capture B’Elanna and other crew members. A Vidiian scientist, intrigued by the regenerative properties of Klingon DNA and seeking a cure for his people, undertakes a radical experiment: he splits B’Elanna into two distinct individuals, one fully human and the other fully Klingon. Both versions of B’Elanna, played by Roxann Dawson, are forced to confront their inherent differences while working together to escape captivity and rescue their fellow crew members.
The episode’s premise is a literal manifestation of Star Trek’s fascination with characters torn between two worlds. However, this literal approach to exploring B’Elanna’s biracial identity necessitates a navigation of some particularly fraught thematic territory, raising questions that the episode struggles to fully address. The central conflict between the human and Klingon B’Elannas hinges on what the episode ultimately presents as genetically determined traits. Human B’Elanna is portrayed as physically and emotionally weaker, plagued by fear and struggling to adapt to her captivity. Conversely, Klingon B’Elanna embodies established Klingon stereotypes of aggression and a predisposition to violence, displaying an inherent arrogance that prioritizes conflict above all else.
The episode’s portrayal becomes especially problematic considering the evolution of the Klingons in the post-TNG era. They had moved away from their earlier, racially charged depictions toward a race of primarily dark-skinned humanoids, incorporating Afro-inspired aesthetics such as textured hair. Within this context, the image of a light-skinned human B’Elanna cowering before her aggressively portrayed, dark-skinned Klingon self resonates uncomfortably. The two B’Elannas repeatedly clash, blaming each other for being "cursed" with the negative traits of the other. Human B’Elanna laments her Klingon temper as the reason for her departure from Starfleet Academy.
Although the two B’Elannas eventually reach an understanding and the Klingon B’Elanna sacrifices herself to protect her human counterpart, the resolution leans into the "noble savage" trope rather than providing a nuanced exploration of their complex bond. While the episode concludes that the two sides of B’Elanna are better working together, it fails to adequately interrogate the racialized elements at play in presenting her internal struggle as an external conflict. The climax, where B’Elanna reconciles with her Klingon side, is a compromise, driven as much by the necessity of reintegrating her Klingon DNA for survival as by any genuine acceptance.
The episode’s final moments are intriguingly ambiguous. The still-human-appearing B’Elanna, in sickbay awaiting surgery, tells Chakotay that while she now appreciates certain aspects of her Klingon self, she anticipates a lifelong struggle against that side of her identity. This statement is followed by a shot of her stroking her smooth forehead in solitude, a symbolic farewell to the outward manifestation of her internal conflict before the physical reminder of her Klingon heritage returns.
For much of the remainder of Voyager, B’Elanna’s exploration of her racial identity is primarily channeled through her strained relationship with her Klingon mother, rather than through her own internal struggles with being part-Klingon. There is one significant exception: the season seven episode "Lineage." In this episode, a newly pregnant B’Elanna attempts to genetically alter her child in utero to ensure the child is born fully human.
It’s noteworthy that the show’s exploration of B’Elanna’s racial identity is framed by these two episodes, which are in conversation with each other, though not always in the most positive way. "Lineage," while offering some insight into B’Elanna’s motivations, firmly positions her apprehension about her Klingon heritage as misguided, and her actions within the episode are unequivocally deemed wrong. In retrospect, perhaps "Faces" paved the way for "Lineage," providing an opportunity to offer a more nuanced and considered exploration of a character who had captivated Voyager from its inception. Though "Faces" presented challenges and raised uncomfortable questions, it nonetheless laid the foundation for future discussions about race, identity, and the complexities of navigating dual heritage in the Star Trek universe. The episode serves as a reminder that even with the best intentions, depictions of race and identity can be fraught with difficulty, and that ongoing reflection and critical analysis are essential for fostering genuine understanding and representation.
