Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Chief Miles O'Brien

[@Luckdragon2000]

As a retired Chief in the US Navy, I appreciate Chief O'Brian's character far more today than I did years ago. Navy Chief, Navy Pride!

[@jeffjr84]

I see two stars he is a master chief

[@xephorce]

Yes I loved his character I only wished my Chief was as good as him. Chief Miller was a great guy but had a short fuse. lol. Its been 20 years since I got out the Navy wow I feel old

[@jeffjr84]

@@xephorce my uncle was a senior that got bumped to warrant because he was so good at 'providing expertise'. He got a bronze star for something to do with a pby but he won't tell me the story.

[@StevieC789]

I love it when O'Brien says "Don't call me sir, I work for a living."

[@maryellencook9528]

@Luckdragon2000 Thank you for your service. My late sister-in-law, Mary Cook Madden, retired from the Navy as a Master CPO in 2003. She also gave her younger brother his first salute when he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1988. When Mary retired in '03, her two brothers who were still serving ( one a Lt. Col. in the USAF, and the Academy graduate a Lt. Cmdr. in the Naval Reserve) gave her a salute at the end. They recognized the importance of a good non-com.

[@FilthyCasualYT]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, suffering in Star Trek is measured in Miles.

[@288theabe]

Good one 😂😂😂😂

[@Beth_Alice_Kaplan]

😅 Wakka wakka!

[@andrewshearsby8125]

Chef Miles Edward O'Brien the most important person in Star Trek history. A humble man who took what the galaxy threw at him and kept going, he made DS9 work when it shouldn't, participated in several wars and I would argue a genius on par with LaForge, Scotty and Barclay

[@BordersJambo]

Not only that, but he was smart & switched on enough to never become an officer, and be forced to go to all those official diplomatic and state functions.

[@frankandstein8618]

I didn't know he was a cook too, how versatile.

[@qwopiretyu]

Not a genius, an innovator. Better.

[@harrylane4]

@@qwopiretyu even more important than that, he was a union man

[@StormblessedRadiant]

I was 29 years old working a dead end job rewatching DS9 when I decided to turn my life around. Miles was a huge influence on my life at the time. And today I have the title of Engineer with a fortune 100 company. Wouldn't have happened without Star Trek and Colm.

[@robg8307]

One thing we do know is that he's a union man.

[@derekscanlan4641]

...but not a Cardassian union man

[@DavidNash1948]

@@derekscanlan4641 ...and he always wore a Union lapel.

[@superamario6464]

Came here for this comment

[@MP-in4or]

before unions became corrupt and self serving

[@paulsarnik8506]

'til His alter ego decided to build a rail road with that guy with the hair working for HIM!

[@adamredmond292]

Never realized how much this character influenced my life until a few years ago. Retired a Navy Senior Chief, married a japanese woman and had a daughter. I was a crazy workaholic when I was in the service too.

[@ericthompson3982]

Good man, Colm. Always look out for your fellow workers. Proud of you.

[@amandamatheny3675]

I love it. An episode about probably the only non-stereotypical Irish character hosted by an Irishman. Wonderful.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

As an Englishman, I actually thought he was pretty stereotypical Irish, but not the cartoon Irish, actual real life Irish. He's got a cracking sense of humour, loves a drink, but loves his family more (despite doing anything he can to avoid them), he's hard working and extremely competent. That's just about every Irishman I knew as a kid.

[@JohnWilsonComicsGuy]

I know it's long been in the zeitgeist, but not for nothing, I suggested this article when I was working for WhatCulture nearly a year ago. Glad to see that someone, especially an Irishman, finally did it.

[@Psichlo1]

O'Brien was always one of my favorite characters

[@johnobrien1909]

As an O’Brien in Dublin I always loved watching O’Brien in Star Trek ❤️

[@triviabuff5682]

Chief O'Brien was (according to Memory Alpha) born in Killarney, and so is a Kerryman. However, the O'Brien family moved to Dublin when he was no more than 2 years old. Dublin's GAA teams play in blue kits. When O'Brien played Bashir at Racquetball in the episode "Rivals," Keiko gave him a blue scarf to wear, so he lined out in Dublin's colour.

[@kadosho02]

All we need now, is a chat with the legend 🖖 excellent list about the most important man in Starfleet

[@marcins5183]

Now after hearing it being said out loud, you're right! Ever since being a kid, I loved O'Brien exactly because he was "just a guy", not a superhero officer. It all makes so much sense now! Thank you!

[@TK000Master]

When I want to feel good after a hard working day i love to turn on a "O'Brien must suffer" episode

[@BOTHthosearetaken]

If we ever see O'Brien running a ship I hope he's listed as Acting Captain with him being put in charge despite a refusal to ever take any actual rank Miles is the character in Star Trek I'd most like to hang out with because he's a compassionate nerd

[@thesaintirl]

Colm Meaney is one of the most outstanding actors that have ever put on a Trek uniform and has a serious filmography, if our American trek fans haven't watched the likes of The Commitments, the Snapper and the Van you are in for a wild ride. But Meaney is far more than his work, he is an absolute gentleman, I met him briefly in a Starbucks on Dawson St, Dublin during the pandemic, have a quick conversation and wished him well, I tried my best not to appear as a fanboy but im pretty sure that I failed, I asked him for a selfie, he said sure, but then I realised I forgot my phone in my office, no photographic evidence but a nice story.

[@markbade565]

Berman: Colm, we're going to make sure you have a flexible schedule on this show. Gonna film a movie? We'll make it work. Also Berman: Take it or leave it, Farrell

[@peabody1976]

I was hoping we got a mention of the cello, and whether Colm Meaney ever played cello in real life. Still, this is a great glimpse (not gonna lie, I had a crush on O'Brien when he was on both TNG and DS9).

[@AzaleaJane]

I would guess he did. IIRC the one time we see him playing was before his character was well-established. The casting director probably just asked all the existing extras/background characters if anyone played any string instruments, and he did it because he could.

[@shawnholbrook7278]

Yay Irish! and he is a mechanic. Top tier. I was happy that Chief O'brian and Worf were in DS9. Thanks for this one Sean.

[@scribbleknit]

I think this is one of my favorite episodes to date. Thank you so much for focusing on chief Miles O’Brien. Really good story and really good presentation.

[@seantlewis376]

I was enlisted in the Army. My father was also career enlisted in the Air Force. I always appreciated that O'Brien was the only prominent enlisted in the cast, other than Yeoman Rand in TOS, but was later promoted to an ensign in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but that was only in a few episodes, and we never really got to know her. In TOS, the entire crew was about 430 people, 30 officers and 400 enlisted. I don't think we ever got the numbers for TNG, but it is stated that there are more than 1,000 people on board, some of them families of the crew. They always call Chief O'Brien "Chief". I always assumed that he was a Chief Petty Officer, the highest enlisted rank one can achieve in today's Navy. When I worked with warrant officers or with senior NCOs above the E7 rank, they were always called "Chief".

[@baron7755]

@@seantlewis376 Rand was a Chief Petty Officer in The Motion Picture. O’Brien was originally called Chief because he was the transporter chief, but he wore the rank of Lieutenant and was addressed as Lieutenant in several episodes before they arbitrarily said he was a Chief Petty Officer

[@geraldlee7055]

Chief Miles O'Brien was my favorite DS9 and probably my favorite Star Trek character of all time. I am glad he got an insignia upgrade because Ensign Nog out ranked him with half a pip!😢😂🎉

[@roberthelme8000]

As an Irish American, thanks so much for this video about my family’s Trek hero!

[@jacara1981]

Growing up with DS9 O'Brien was my fav character, one of several reasons I went into Engineering in College.

[@joshuamacdonald4913]

O’brian was a huge part of my life growing up and in no small part in the man I became.

[@robertmcmath910]

O'Brien is a Warrant Officer. He was a contracted (enlisted specialist) with no Academy training, then was "promoted" during/after the "war" he makes references to at various times to be a leader, while still a tech specialist (engineering), allowing him to remain aloof of command, but still able to get in the mix of things to ensure technical things were being repaired and operational. He is such a "tech" he could teach people how to fix/repair/operate equipment. "Warrant Officers recognize Warrant Officers" (I'm a retired one).

[@RyogaHabiki]

Wrong, O'Brien was never a Warrant Officer. His final rank was "Senior Chief Petty Officer" I do know the source of this misinformation, The Star Trek Encyclopedia, 2nd ed., p. 211 defines his "ensign junior grade pip" he used as the insignia of a "chief warrant officer". However, the term is never used on-screen and is non-canon. He is called "Petty Officer" and "Chief Petty Officer" several times, and O'Brien states his rank is "Senior Chief Petty Officer" towards the end of his character arc.

[@baron7755]

@@robertmcmath910 Obrien is not a Warrant Officer, there have never been anyone called a warrant officer on screen in the history of Star Trek.

[@Zapwire]

@@RyogaHabikiand you can clearly see 2 dots on his insignia in s7 ep8 6:27

[@RyogaHabiki]

@@Zapwire Zap, O'Brien is not a LT. His rank pips are a meme at this point. Besides Star Trek lower decks already stated when you see someone with the wrong or extra pips its likely corn stuck to their collar.

[@Zapwire]

@ the senior chief petty officer rank has 2 dots on it, I say dots, and not pips, because the insignia is prolly only the size of 2 pips,

[@dillonbuford]

#1 he is a Union man, O'Brien is only the most important person in the universe because of the actor that plays him, support worker's rights.

[@velvetine74]

People love the TNG Picard episode "The inner light" but the DS9 O'Brien episode "Hard Time" was of the most gut wrenching concepts ever on screen. The irony being that next week he was fine, lol

[@talahar123]

Easily my favourite character in all of Star Trek. And thanks for the history lesson, Seán, highly appreciated.

[@ashakydd1]

I really appreciate, in DS9, that O'Brien had to work on his marriage, especially in regards to her career. I just feel like it sets a very positive role model for treks.

[@RhinoBarbarian]

You know why Miles O'Brien is always suffering? Because he was the first nameless redshirt seen in TNG and he didn't die. His suffering is the universe trying to balance the scales.

[@ginger00022]

One of the best Star Trek Characters.

[@AndrewStephen-d4g]

From what i recall a few sci fi shows were obsessed at the time (or at least the producers) with the idea of an "everyman" character. B5 did it with the Keesler character who was basically forced onto the show for this reason. The BSG reboot had the Chief and his team also. I think this is why O'Brians rank changed for late TNG/DS9 to non enlisted.

[@cmscalvert]

He was my 2nd favorite character on the show, right behind Quark.

[@DanielIXVIMCMLXXXI]

"It might be evil, but it made for good television." 😂

[@twocvbloke]

It's funny to think that most of the other characters Meaney has played, O'Brien is probably one of the nicest of them all, barring the British pilot that got downed in I think Die Hard 2, who was made to suffer, like O'Brien, in a way... :P

[@kathyastrom1315]

I love him as Mr. Rabitte in The Commitments- “Elvis IS God!”

[@bestirishfirefighter]

@@kathyastrom1315”Elvis wasn’t a Cajun! That’s blasphemy!!!!” 😂😂😂😂

[@nerdycoffaholic]

Whoot Just saw it drop ^_^ Yay for O'Brien.

[@ucirvinite]

Long my favorite character. Thanks for this video!

[@PyreEntei]

I think Miles O'Brian, is one of my favourite human characters in the franchise. I always loved episodes he was in, even if they were minor. So glad he had so much screen time in DS9!

[@RyogaHabiki]

Years ago, I went to "Star Trek - The Experience" in Las Vegas (Before they shut it down...) and one of the attractions involved time travel fun and being whisked away to an excellent copy of the 1701-D's bridge. As I'm sure you know, Captain Picard has disappeared and it's believed someone in your group is his ancestor. I laughed and said don't look at me, I don't have any french blood in me. I have more Irish in me then anything else, and I'm a computer engineer. Another fan in our group then asked the actor where Chief O'Brien is. The actor played along and said he disappeared at the same time the captain did. I laughed and said Chief O'Brien being my decedent makes more sense, it feels like I suffer like the poor man... Everyone else laughed.

[@DanLoudShirts]

One of my favourite characters in ST. Just such a likable bloke!

[@kineuhansen8629]

miles is one of those that need a comeback on star trek in a new series or something along with bashir i love to see if they still hang out in the holodeck and reacting battle of britain

[@RyogaHabiki]

My head cannon is they found a way to "link" two holodecks, so when the two enter two different holodecks they rooms talk to each other via subspace, O'Brien sees a holographic Bashir and vice versa, then they start the holodeck program and the two of them reenact whichever program they are doing that day. Allowing them to have fun, even if lightyears apart. O'Brien has the knowledge and skills and Bashir is smart enough to work for the legendary Engineer and follow a list of directions.

[@WilliamHensley1963]

Awesome list & info about the Chief.

[@BillHicksADH]

You dropped this Colm. 👑

[@joeeyaura]

Miles is my favorite character in the whole Trek universe, and ive love Colm Meaney in everything ive seen him in. espically star gate atlantis where he played sort of a villian, though he didnt get enough episodes at all, would have loved to see him become the main villian for a season

[@uttula]

Slightly on a tangent, but everytime I hear Sean narrating without seeing his image on screen, I always get an eerie feeling that it is Colm Meany’s voice. While there are differences, it feels like there is a certain … cadence … that is very similar between the voices.

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

You stated that he hated the idea of leprechauns, but he himself played a leprechaun in Hallmark's The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns.

[@karmabum21]

Miles and Julian are friend goals

[@DavidNash1948]

One can but choose to wonder how Colm Meany viewed all the Irish stereotypes John Ford put into "The Quiet Man". Or perhaps, "The Rising of the Moon".

[@darrengriffin8609]

He'll do most things if the money's right. Have you seen the stuff he's done post Trek ?

[@katherinekoza6536]

@@darrengriffin8609 Colm Meany is very much in Hell on Wheels series post Trek . Brilliant series ,which also stared Anson Mount who now plays Pike in ST Discovery .

[@dudebro7698]

Speaking of Colm Meaney and Ireland, one of my favorite things about living in Dublin was the Meanies stencil on the power box at Swords Road and Collins Ave. Not too far from Clontarf, actually.

[@rubend.4313]

This video made my day, and to this day anything cold meaney is in I watch.

[@collguyjoe99]

When the Klingons called O'Brien an expert in combat during Worf's trial in DS9 - You know that man has been through the grinder.

[@adamlytle2615]

I love that they put O'Brien back into a red uniform for the All Good Things scenes set in the past - even though it had then been firmly established that he was a non-com and red uniforms are almost certainly an officer only thing.

[@monkofbob]

Sean, here’s my take on how his rank makes sense. Going by the other series, generally a chief engineer holds a rank between lieutenant and commander. I believe the pilot is just a mistake and he was a chief petty officer, but due to his natural abilities he was promoted to being an officer by DS9, but considering his rising, not Academy commissioned, and doing manual labor when the fellow officers tap screens, he adopts the “I actually work for a living” perspective and that is why he is “Chief,” not a reference to his rank, but using his position as a way to distance himself from his real rank.

[@BitsofJoshua]

Great video Sean

[@CRYOKnox]

Without any disrespect intended as a bilingual I always thought his real name should be something like Colm Nicely. O'Brien is just such a great addition to the franchise in whole and I love how we see him grow through the series overall.

[@derekscanlan4641]

Bring 'im back. Bleedin' legend!

[@SaberToothBicycle]

Miles for miles... Or kilometers if you really must.

[@deanthemachine8879]

Sean should be able to do at least one O’Brien episode every year

[@danielnelson-2121]

1:30 I'm guessing in the 24th century, Chief Petty Officers are more equivalent to a Chief Warrant Officer and can serve in an officer position as well as wear the rank insignia when needed.

[@jayluck8047]

It hurt a little bit when Picard called down to Transporter Room 3 during First Contact knowing there wasn’t an O’Brien at the controls.

[@jessewilley531]

I've heard The Storyteller was sort of art imitating life as VERY early on Meaney and Siddig didn't quite get along, but making that episode sorta changed things.

[@agm5424]

The first rule of star trek ds9: O'Brian. Must. Suffer.

[@setharagon9290]

He is one of my favorite characters. In star trek fleet command game I spent money just to get him.

[@MP-in4or]

Miles is the DH on every team.

[@garethmckee5927]

‘The most important man in the galaxy!’ Never a truer word said.

[@ArmandoMartinez-k7h]

Love Chief!!

[@dakariszulu]

I wonder if Harry Kim sees the rank changes and does that 'Come on!' meme from Liar Liar

[@rossdavis2294]

“Nieve sex pest of the promenade” 😂 classic - the O’Brien episode where his daughter is stranded on a planet for 20 years or so - when O’Brien tries to get her back he shouts “Bollox!” Always makes me laugh - it’s a swear word in Ireland and UK but seems to have slipped passed the American sensors - think that was the first swear I heard on Star Trek (before Data’s Oooh Shit moment 😂)

[@WillbaDissidente]

The Next Gen is even better when the Chief Appears! *

[@corwinivellios1662]

O'Brien was always one of my favorites I like engineers =)

[@chefdean7257]

Colm Meaney was off filming Con Air when The Visitor was filmed. By season finale, after finding Colonel Travis, he was still searching for his car. 🤓🖖😎

[@AndersonNeo12]

"I am Chief Miles Edward Obrian. I'm very much alive, and I intend to stay that way"

[@therabbits69]

I thought it was stated somewhere that out of everyone on the TNG crew Miles was the person with the most combat experience even more so than the main bridge crew (bar maybe Picard)

[@ghostwar8359]

Miles O'Brien was one of the best dudes on star trek

[@joshdsmith01]

Bashir pulls rank on obrian in the final episide also. Obrian is wounded and bashir is trying to work on him which hes unable to do at obrians station, obrian refuses to go to sickbay and bashir orders him and sisko enforces the order.

[@tmoore4075]

His ranking always bugged me. As a kid it didn't make sense and it was never really addressed.

[@willvgo2950]

Yeah, Riker actually called him LT in Where Silence has Lease & Worf's adoptive father was able to tell from the LT pips, that he was a CPO. The only thing that made any sense was that he could have ranked up between Encounter at Farpoint & season 2.

[@WardenWolf]

He honestly got the raw deal in TNG. He initially seemed like he was going to become the chief engineer, then that was given to Geordi. And then he was relegated to a bit part.

[@Craxin01]

While Lt. Commander Data is my favorite TNG character, Chief O’Brian is my favorite DS9 character.

[@T.H.U.G]

we never got Obrien in a ST movie! it's a tragedy 😢

[@der_peevmeister]

My head canon is that O’Brian is offered promotions to ‘MCPON’ multiple times but turns them down for two reasons: Keiko, Molly, and Yoshi And he prefers his rank of Command Master Chief; teaching hands-on as guest lecturer at different fleet yards. _”The manual shows you how to do it by the book. Let me show you how to do it to get results.”_

[@baron7755]

@@der_peevmeister there is no MCPON in Starfleet, the “N” in MCPON stands for Navy, and Starfleet is not called the Navy

[@der_peevmeister]

@@baron7755 hence the ' '

[@robertmcmath910]

O'Brien is an "anchor being" of ST. Without him, the multiverse collapses.

[@SA-xf1eb]

My favorite character.

[@barrygavin749]

Now there’s a lad Seán needs ta interview!

[@DCunn_82]

The second best Chief I know!

[@HeraldOfBadger]

The most important man in the federation!

[@silversonic1]

Honestly, I like to think the pip debacle has an in-universe explanation. I honestly wish Lower Decks was given the time to explore it.

[@jakeg3126]

Where can you see Lower Decks? And is it any good. It kinda looks dumb, but still didn’t see anyone say anything bad about it online.

[@connorgonzalez4023]

@@jakeg3126 It's on Paramount Plus. It might be a little bit of an acquired taste at first if you aren't really into cartoons, but it's amazing. It takes itself seriously enough to be a valid, legitimate Star Trek series like the rest, but it's also silly and light-hearted enough to be able to poke fun at the weirder parts of Trek without being irreverent and disrespectful of the lore/canon. Nearly every episode is packed with references, Easter eggs, and super obscure deep cuts from all over the franchise. It's made by fans for fans, and it's widely considered to be a love letter to the franchise. I highly recommend checking it out.

[@silversonic1]

@jakeg3126 Lower Decks has been one of the best Star Trek shows ever made. It's on Paramount+ in the US. The "looks dumb" part can come down to the fact it's a comedy and animated comedies tend to get that reaction. But it's still Star Trek as hell. The fifth and final season(because someone decided that the five-year mission should be a hard and fast limit) doesn't have much left before it's done. Lower Decks only had one bad episode so far... They devoted an entire episode to what happened to Peanut Hamper(essentially the worst character in the show). The only good thing that came from that episode was how it ended. This is the least spoilery way I could say everything.

[@jakeg3126]

@@silversonic1 ok, thanks for the show recommendation. I think that ending it in 5 seasons would be so that it doesn’t drag on and get old.. like I don’t know who watches the Simpsons anymore and Family Guy is getting old and I only put it on if nothing is on and I really want to watch something

[@silversonic1]

@jakeg3126 I don't think you should compare a potential 7 season run to 20+ season shows like that. Firstly, most Star Trek shows of the modern era haven't gotten big seasons, often capping at 10 episodes a season. Secondly, you're essentially going from one extreme to another. While Family Guy has certainly run its course and The Simpsons, while still fairly entertaining, is losing more of their talent to illness, retirement and/or death on a regular basis. That's not really an issue for Lower Decks.

[@TiptronicSS]

Wouldn't mind a little series with the chief

[@mr_ozzio5095]

At least the historic battle which started at 10.14 was very short, as the workers union approved tea break came into effect at 10.30....

[@johndittmer8488]

As an American, I find it appropriate that O'Brien is a strong union man since George Meany, no relation of Colm, was a major union leader in the United States as president of the AFL-CIO.

[@ronm6585]

Thanks. 🖖🏻

[@xochiltepetzalailhuicamina2322]

In Encounter at farpoint he is called Lieutenant by Picard. I assumed he gave up his commission to do enlisted service as a chief petty officer.

[@76digno]

Thank you very much I enjoy being a Star Trek fan and I love chief O’brien. In the rank of military chief O’brien in the United States army would be held as chief Warrant officer the reason why they call him chief

[@colinp2238]

He is a brilliant actor. Research his work before Trek and see for yourselves.

[@virginiaconnor8350]

My friend Sean now uses the Fodah over his a in his name. I read that our Census is going to cut out that ability to use the Fodah-any other symbol in a person's heritage name. I like yours and hope no one denies your ability to use it,

[@GGGritzer]

Earliest DAY of TNG! Episode 1 AND the finale!

[@oogaboogaman13]

The greatest hero of the Federation better get those most views in this channel's history.

[@Mike-cr2bc]

Favorite character and he made bashir a better character

[@willvgo2950]

Riker addressed him as LT in Where Silence Has Lease.