Chekov (Walter Koenig)

Character Analysis

Poor Chekov. He has a tough go of things in The Voyage Home.

First, he gets arrested and interrogated by the U.S. Navy. Never a good time, right? In his subsequent escape, he falls and takes a nasty spill, which sends him into a coma. Can't a Starfleet officer catch a break?

It's worth noting that the U.S. government is instantly suspicious of Chekov due to his Russian heritage. In fact, they straight up call him a "Russki." Although humanity has moved past this brand of nationalistic paranoia by Chekov's day, it's alive and well in the 20th century. It's another way the film comments on the often irrational—dare we say "barbaric"?—nature of our society.