Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: Jack Ransom, Jerry O'Connell, john savage, Mike McMahan, star trek: Lower Decks, star trek: voyager

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Jack Ransom Related to This "Voyager" Villain?

Star Trek: Lower Decks' Jerry O'Connell and Mike McMahan respond to a fan inquiry about a possible link between Jack Ransom and "Voyager."

Published Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:36:08 -0600

by Tom Chang

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Article Summary

Fans speculate Jack Ransom of "Lower Decks" could be related to a "Voyager" villain.
Jerry O’Connell takes on the theory and asks for creator Mike McMahan’s take.
Mike McMahan cryptically responds to the theory about a connection between Ransoms.
Could Lower Decks explore Jack's past, possibly linking him directly to "Voyager" lore?

Regarding the Star Trek galaxy, one can never be too vigilant, especially on an Easter Egg-laden series like the animated comedy Lower Decks. One astute fan noticed a certain U.S.S. Cerritos first officer in Jack Ransom, played by Jerry O'Connell, shares the same last name as the infamous Rudolph Ransom (John Savage), captain of the U.S.S. Equinox on Voyager in the season five cliffhanger and two-parter "Equinox." The fan tagged O'Connell on social media, asking, "[Jerry] Have you wondered if your character Jack Ransom was related in any way to the Captain of the USS Equinox Rudolph Ransom? #LowerDecks".

The actor surprised by this revelation tagged creator Mike McMahan writing, "Whoa. [Mike McMahan]???" He responded with a frequently-used gif from The Simpsons of Homer Simpson disappearing back into the bushes from the season five episode "Homer Loves Flanders." During the events of "Equinox," Voyager discovers another Federation ship, the Equinox, that's also stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Badly damaged and under attack, Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and company come to their rescue. As they get acclimated together, Voyager learns about the aliens that helped the Equinox and the trade they engaged in; one is the ability to summon a creature they discover has abilities to help enhance their warp drive. By hunting them, it helps their warp drive beyond conventional means. Horrified upon learning the truth, Janeway tries to get the Equinox crew to answer for their egregious violation of Starfleet law.

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Is Jack Related to Voyager's Rudolph Ransom? — John Savage in "Star Trek: Voyager". Image courtesy of Paramount

Upon a crisis of consciousness, Capt. Ransom starts having second thoughts before a mutiny from his first officer Lt. Cmdr. Maxwell Burke (Titus Welliver), ends his command. Upon Voyager's pursuit and with the help of Ensign Marla Gilmore (Olivia Birkelund), Ransom can create chaos for the aliens to seek revenge and destroy the Equinox in an act of self-sacrifice. In the conclusion of "Part II," Janeway strips the ranks of the surviving Equinox crew members but still allows them to serve onboard Voyager as penance. With Lower Decks having a penchant for digging deep into Star Trek lore, it would make sense to have that backstory for Jack since we know almost nothing of his past since the show is called, Lower Decks. Who knows? Perhaps McMahan might write Rudolph in season five as some relative, even if it's a coincidence they happen to share the same last name if it wasn't already planned.