A Matter Of Honor

Brian Thompson was hired for his role, and then let go without notice before it was filmed. When he sought out a reason why, he was told that he was too large to fit into the costume Christopher Lloyd had worn for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). He quickly volunteered to make any necessary alterations himself.

In Coming of Age (1988), in which several young students fight for a place in Starfleet Academy, the Benzite Mordock gains the honor of becoming the first of his race to enter Starfleet. In this episode, less than a year later, Mendon, another Benzite, appears, not as an already graduated Starfleet ensign but as an officer from the Benzite fleet (in the same sort of exchange program as with Riker and the Klingon ship). Mendon is unfamiliar with Starfleet procedures. He instead continues to quote how it is done in his own fleet and, early on, how much better their way is, which would likely not have happened if he had attended the Academy.

Featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation: Shades of Gray (1989)