Ladies of Kirk: Lt. Areel Shaw

Lt. Areel Shaw

Episode 14: Court Martial

An aggressive and professional lawyer, Lt. Areel Shaw has been assigned to prosecute at Captain Kirk's court martial. Despite their past relationship and warm friendship, Lt. Shaw does her duty and charges him of willfully causing the death of a crewmember. Her case is devastating, using even the testimonies of Kirk's closest friends to make him seem like a vindictive murderer. It takes Spock's cunning and unshakeable faith in Kirk to overturn the seemingly hopeless case.

Being a sucker for courtroom showdowns, Court Martial is one of my favorite Trek episodes. Lt. Shaw is also one of the strongest and most intelligent female characters in the series. Outside the courtroom, she is warm and soft-spoken, and wears this glamorous paisley handkerchief with lime-colored leggings. Very Star Trek couture.

McCoy: All my old friends look like doctors. All his old friends look like you.

But in the courtroom, Shaw is brutal. She holds nothing back. In fact, the show respects her so much that she gets a SLIGHTLY LONGER MINISKIRT that comes to about mid-thigh rather than just barely covering her butt.

But in the end, even Lt. Shaw can't resist a little smooching with Kirk on the bridge of the Enterprise while all the other crew members cringe and pretend not to notice.

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Next up: Edith Keeler, the Goody Two-Shoes