Editing Cardassian (section)

===="The Wounded": 1991====

[[File:Cardassian logo plain.png|thumb|The emblem of the Cardassian Union, as devised for ''The Next Generation'']]

The Cardassians were invented by the writers of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' for the show's fourth season episode "[[The Wounded (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Wounded]]", written by Stuart Charno, Sara Charno, and Cy Chermak, with teleplay by [[Jeri Taylor]]. It was first screened in January 1991.{{sfn|Nemecek|1995|p=152}} The script related that the Cardassian Union and the [[United Federation of Planets]]—of which Earth was a part—were involved in skirmishes for many years but had signed a peace treaty.

It begins with the revelation that the USS ''Phoenix'', a renegade Federation starship under the command of Captain Benjamin Maxwell ([[Bob Gunton]]), has begun attacking Cardassian targets, as Maxwell is convinced the Cardassians are rearming for war against the Federation. The [[USS Enterprise-D|USS ''Enterprise''-D]], captained by [[Jean-Luc Picard]] ([[Patrick Stewart]]), is sent to stop the ''Phoenix'', with the Cardassian Gul Macet ([[Marc Alaimo]]) coming aboard the ''Enterprise'' to assist.{{sfn|Nemecek|1995|p=152}}

Alaimo's appearance as Gul Macet in "The Wounded" made him the second actor, after [[Mark Lenard]], to play three separate alien species in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. In earlier episodes he portrayed an Antican ("[[Lonely Among Us]]") and a Romulan ("[[The Neutral Zone (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Neutral Zone]]").{{sfn|Nemecek|1995|p=152}} He later portrayed a human in ''The Next Generation'' episode "[[Time's Arrow (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Time's Arrow]]" before gaining a recurring role as the Cardassian Gul Dukat in ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''.{{sfn|Nemecek|1995|p=152}}

For this episode, several Cardassians were depicted wearing helmets, something never again done in the franchise;{{sfn|Nemecek|1995|p=153}} Blackman and Westmore's designs also gave Macet facial hair, the only time a Cardassian was shown this way.{{sfn|Nemecek|1995|p=152}}